Man Utd see positives despite continuing to drop points

What the report says

Manchester United left Everton with a 2-2 draw after conceding an injury-time equaliser at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, but BBC Sport Football reported that head coach Michael Carrick remained upbeat about signs of progress. United led twice, with Benjamin Sesko scoring his first goal of the season and Luke Shaw again contributing strongly on the left side, while Kobbie Mainoo and goalkeeper Senne Lammens were also highlighted as encouraging performers.

Even so, the result extended a difficult start to the Premier League campaign. United have dropped five points from their first three league matches and have conceded two goals in each of them. Carrick acknowledged that the team need to tighten up defensively if they are to turn good periods of play into wins, although he said the squad’s mentality remained sound. Former United captain Wayne Rooney, analysing the game for BBC Sport, also felt the performance contained more control than frustration might suggest.

The article also pointed to wider squad and fixture issues facing United, including a lack of late-summer recruitment in attack and defence. With a busy run of four matches in 11 days coming up, United now have to balance domestic pressure with a Champions League return before facing Manchester City. BBC Sport’s view was that the mood is not alarming yet, but expectations at Old Trafford mean results will need to improve quickly.