Gary Neville warns that tinkering with a settled back four cost United victory at Everton, echoing the tactical instability that plagued Michael Carrick’s predecessors at Old Trafford.
Man Utd vs Everton review - United succumb to late equaliser
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Manchester United were left frustrated after Everton snatched a 2-2 draw in the closing stages of their Premier League clash at the Hill Dickinson Stadium on Sunday. Michael Carrick named an unchanged XI from the 5-2 win over Ipswich Town, while Bruno Fernandes came close to an early opener when his effort struck the crossbar.
United controlled much of the first half and created the better chances, although Everton remained a threat on the counter. Neither side could find a breakthrough before the interval, leaving the match goalless at half-time.
The visitors took the lead just 53 seconds after the restart when Bryan Mbeumo broke forward and calmly finished. Everton responded with greater urgency, and Tyrique George levelled with a fierce strike inside the final 10 minutes. United appeared to regain the advantage soon after, with Benjamin Šeško converting Luke Shaw's delivery.
However, Everton had the final say in stoppage time as Ainsley Maitland-Niles produced a stunning finish to rescue a point. The late equaliser denied United a win and turned an entertaining 2-2 encounter into a dramatic finish.
Gary Neville highlights Michael Carrick mistake
Manchester United have now conceded six goals in three games, the fourth-highest total in the division, a worrying statistic given they have faced two newly promoted sides in their first three fixtures.
While Gary Neville highlighted three players who were at fault for Everton's equaliser in stoppage time, the legendary United centre-back also pointed at a larger issue in this Manchester United side.
Speaking on the Gary Neville Podcast, he said, "I don't think it's going to go away and that's my big fear. I think conceding goals is going to chase them and hunt them down the road and I don't know how Michael deals with it because he's got his best back four on the pitch. I don't know why Luke Shaw went off with five minutes to go – hopefully he's not injured. I don't know why Dalot went off with five minutes to go.
"To be fair, Ruben Amorim and Erik ten Hag used to change their back four a lot as well – you can't be changing your back four. If you've got Hincapié to come on for Calafiori, maybe you can, but United have got a back four of Shaw, Dalot, Maguire and Lisandro Martínez, and they've not got much behind that. So you can't really change your back four at 1-0 or 2-1."
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Michael Carrick faces a selection dilemma as the Red Devils return to Europe's elite, balancing Marcus Rashford’s fitness concerns against a looming derby with Manchester City.
Carrick is aware of issues with the defence
Manchester United's summer business rightfully centred around a long overdue midfield rebuild, with the club bringing in three new midfielders to add key depth to the middle of the park.
However, it was painfully obvious that United also needed left-back cover, with Luke Shaw being the only senior left-sided full-back at the club. Despite playing every available Premier League game last campaign, Shaw's historic injury issues, added to United's fixture congestion this season is certainly a worry for United fans.
As far as centre-backs are concerned, Matthijs De Ligt and Lisandro Martinez have been plagued by injuries, with the Dutch centre-back still sidelined from a long-term injury picked up almost a year ago.
Carrick seems aware of the side's current issues at the back, insisting the current crop of defenders must do better. Speaking after the game, he said that there are things they must do better as a team and simply must concede fewer goals.