Carrick: Taking Only One Point Was Not Our Purpose; Rashford’s Injury Is Not Serious

In Premier League Matchweek 3, Manchester United drew 2-2 away against Everton. After the match, Manchester United manager Michael Carrick was interviewed by Sky Sports.

Michael, after leading twice, the outcome of this match must be frustrating. Where do you think we dropped off or lost control of the game?

I think they had two excellent shots from inside and outside the box, and those are not shots that go in very often. So I think we made a lot of good adjustments during the game that allowed us to take the lead twice. Some of our attacking play was excellent, we looked dangerous, and we produced a lot of what we wanted. For most of the time, I thought we dealt with their attacks well. When we needed to defend deeper, we did that, and as a team we defended very well. But perhaps we could have handled the closing stages of the match better. It is really painful because we came here to win, and we were in a very good position, scoring again after they had equalised, only to concede so close to the end with just 30 seconds remaining... Obviously, we accept the result, but we have to learn from it because we will face similar situations in the future, and we need to make full use of these experiences.

Yes, there were three goals scored in the final 13 minutes. In terms of dealing with those late moments, did you feel it was challenging to handle their pressure during that period?

They are a team that plays with a lot of pressure and they are a very good side. As I said before the game, this is a very difficult away match, so we were not surprised by that. I think we dealt with it quite well overall. As I said, I think it was their two excellent shots from outside the box that helped them rescue the situation late on.

In terms of your performance, you scored just after the start of the second half, which was excellent timing. Were you frustrated that you could not use that momentum to extend the lead?

Yes, absolutely. We took the lead twice and were in an excellent position to control the game and eventually win. But there are two teams in a match, and they were obviously trying to respond. That is why we are so disappointed. Having been in such strong positions twice and being so close to the final whistle, we were unable to... I mean, we ended up drawing and taking one point, which is what the game gave us, but that was not the purpose of our trip.

As you have mentioned several times, there were also positives from the match. One of them was Marcus Rashford performing well again. When you substituted him, was he feeling some discomfort?

Yes.

Was it a hamstring issue?

I will not reveal the specific details, but he did feel something unusual, so we had to take him off, yes.

But regardless, how much do you think the team can benefit from this, especially the connection between him and Luke Shaw, which caused Everton a lot of problems?

Yes, I think we showed good combinations in most areas of the pitch and at different stages of the match. Marcus and Luke have played together for a long time and have a very good understanding. You can see that; they looked very dangerous down that side. Obviously, there is still room for improvement, and whoever plays still has areas where they can get better. But I think we produced some good combinations at certain moments, especially through the middle, and we actually could and should have scored more goals.

Finally, it is a key week for you: first the Champions League, then the Manchester derby. Ultimately, what do you want the players to take from today’s match?

Yes, our feelings are mixed. Obviously, we will keep the positive aspects because there were many bright moments in this game. I think there were genuinely many good things, and we will keep those. At the same time, we have the disappointment of not taking the result we wanted, and we will look at and understand why that happened. However, looking ahead to the upcoming matches, we will still carry plenty of confidence.

Sorry, just to clarify, is Marcus’ situation concerning? I know it is still very early and you are continuing to assess him, but is it worrying?

What?

Marcus’ injury.

Oh, no, it is not serious.

Okay, thank you.

Okay.