Man United: Carrick rejects claims of poor start to new Premier League campaign
Michael Carrick has rejected suggestions that Manchester United have endured a poor start to the Premier League season despite collecting just four points from their opening three matches.
United were held to a 2-2 draw by Everton on Sunday after Ainsley Maitland-Niles scored a late equaliser on his debut. The result followed a 5-2 victory over Ipswich Town and an opening-day defeat against newly promoted Hull City.
Stay updated: Set GistReel as a favorite source on Google to catch our stories first.
Carrick refuses to sound the alarm
United twice led at the Hill Dickinson Stadium but were unable to close out the match, allowing Everton to rescue a point deep into stoppage time.
With Manchester City next on the schedule, Carrick was asked whether United’s performances represented a disappointing continuation from last season.
“We haven’t started the season that bad,” Carrick said. “It’s not that bad.”
The United boss acknowledged that his side could have managed certain moments better but remained confident they would improve.
“We were 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.”
The decision to withdraw Marcus Rashford in the 70th minute, with United leading, also attracted attention. Carrick explained that the forward had been feeling discomfort and was therefore taken off.
Moyes demands more from Everton
The draw extended Everton’s unbeaten start and provided a positive conclusion to a difficult week for David Moyes and the club.
Everton had been involved in uncertainty over the proposed sale of academy player Harrison Armstrong and failed to bring in another striker before the transfer window closed.
Thierno Barry remains their only senior option following Beto’s £15 million move to Fiorentina.
Moyes was pleased with the response from his players but admitted he wanted more than a draw at home.
“I was happy to get the point but still a little bit disappointed,” he said.
The Everton manager believes his side should approach matches against the Premier League’s biggest clubs with genuine belief.
“We want to win our home games. We are trying to aim to challenge the top teams in the Premier League,” Moyes added.
Everton have now lost just once in their last four meetings with United since Moyes returned to the club in January 2025.
The result gives Everton further confidence, while United face a demanding test against unbeaten Manchester City in their next league fixture.