Man United draw with Everton: Michael Carrick claims Premier League result not "bad" as boss pushes back on criticism

Manchester United boss Michael Carrick has insisted his side's draw with Everton on Sunday should not be viewed in an overly negative light.

The Red Devils played their third game of the new Premier League season on Sunday, but they were unable to claim three points and settled for a 2-2 draw with the Toffees.

United twice took the lead but failed to hold on, with Ainsley Maitland-Niles netting an equaliser in the sixth minute of second-half stoppage time.

Speaking to reporters after the stalemate, Carrick was keen to offer a more positive perspective, saying: "It’s not that bad. We’ve got that close to coming away with three points today. That’s football, there are moments we can deal with a bit better, but we’ll be fine.

"Obviously we can’t ignore [conceding goals]. We need to concede less goals to give us a better chance of winning games, but we’ll certainly look at that and keep improving. I think there’s obviously things we need to get better at as a team.

"There’s been two strikes from distance really, two really good strikes from their point of view. [Those] sometimes fly in the top corner and more often than not they probably don’t."

The Red Devils now have four points from nine, and their next game in the Premier League is a derby against Manchester City.

Everton 2-2 Manchester United: Does Michael Carrick have a point?

Everton's first goal was scored by Tyrique George in the 83rd minute, and while United should have defended their left side better, the winger's finish was exceptional.

Maitland-Niles's equaliser in stoppage time was struck from distance, and no goalkeeper in the world would have saved his effort.

United will rarely face shots of such quality in the same game, so Carrick's comments are not without merit, and he will hope to not be on the receiving end of such bad fortune again.

However, the Red Devils were far too passive without the ball for prolonged periods, and perhaps Everton would not have had the opportunities to score had they been under more pressure.

How should Manchester United approach Man City clash?

Before United face City on September 13, they will play a Champions League clash at Old Trafford on Thursday against Sabah, and the quick turnaround will test the strength of Carrick's squad.

The head coach may have no other option but to sit deep in the derby and play less expansively, but they cannot leave the same gaps in defence on the weekend as they did against Everton.

There is also a question mark about whether striker Benjamin Sesko deserves a starting spot given he found the back of the net against the Toffees, though Carrick has at times shown a preference for a false nine.

Perhaps the centre-forward could act as an outlet for United's struggling backline, which is sure to be tested by the likes of Erling Haaland.