Michael Carrick's arguments to defend Manchester United after the draw with Everton are not convincing enough, especially for fans who have seen victory as the minimum standard at Old Trafford.
Carrick described the result against Everton as "not too bad", even though Man United lost the lead twice. The Old Trafford home team even let the opponent equalize in the sixth minute of injury time after Ainsley Maitland-Niles' beautiful long-range shot in their debut match.
Man United were very close to 3 points today. That's football. There were times when we should have handled it a little better, but things would have been okay.
Clearly, conceding goals cannot be ignored. Man United needs to concede fewer goals to increase their chances of winning. We will definitely consider that issue and continue to improve. I think the whole team still has many aspects that need to be done better" - Carrick said after the match.
The captain of Man United could do nothing about that shot, but he could change his perspective on what is considered an acceptable result at a club with a position like the "Red Devils".
After the first 3 matches of the season, positive signals are being overwhelmed by a series of problems. Man United only won 1 match in the Premier League, lost to newly promoted Hull City and lost 2 more points at Dickinson Hill. More worryingly, they both conceded 2 goals in all 3 matches.
That is an issue that Carrick cannot underestimate. In the Premier League, continuously conceding goals will make a team almost unable to maintain a stable record. Meanwhile, Arsenal and Manchester City have only conceded half of Man United's total goals, thereby partly explaining the leading position of the two teams.
Man United will host Man City in the next match. Enzo Maresca's team has won all 3 matches, although the performance is not really convincing. This is not yet a match that can decide Carrick's future, because he still has significant credibility after 6 impressive months as interim coach before being officially appointed.
However, Carrick is starting to waste trust. The board of directors not adding new players in the final stage of the transfer window makes the pressure on him even clearer. What the criteria for evaluating a successful season with Man United will depend on many different perspectives.
However, the most important thing is still the standards that Carrick and the club's board of directors set. If mediocrity continues to be seen as acceptable, Man United will again follow in the footsteps that have lasted for many years.
The next 2 matches will be different. Today there are many positive things for us to continue to develop. We have drawn good things from the matches against Hull, Ipswich and today. At the same time, there are still points that need improvement" - Carrick added.
