Michael Carrick has reportedly been left questioning one of his key decisions after Manchester United surrendered a late lead against Everton in a dramatic Premier League encounter at Hill Dickinson Stadium.
United looked set to return to Manchester with all three points after taking the lead twice during the match, but a stunning stoppage-time strike from Ainsley Maitland-Niles denied Carrick’s side victory and left the manager facing fresh questions about his tactical decisions.
The match ended 2-2 after United twice found themselves ahead. Bryan Mbeumo opened the scoring for Manchester United before Everton responded through Tyrique George. Benjamin Sesko then appeared to have secured the victory for Carrick’s team with a late header, only for Maitland-Niles to produce a spectacular long-range equaliser deep into stoppage time. The result was particularly painful for United because they had been in a winning position so close to the final whistle.
Andrey Santos has subsequently become one of the talking points surrounding Carrick’s decisions. The Brazilian midfielder was brought to Manchester United as part of a major midfield rebuild, with the club also signing Carlos Baleba and Youri Tielemans. Carrick had previously spoken positively about Santos and his qualities, making it clear that he believed the midfielder could become an important part of the squad.
However, against Everton, the midfield and defensive structure came under serious pressure during the closing stages. United had opportunities to control the game and protect their advantage, but Everton continued to push forward and eventually found the breakthrough they needed. Carrick’s biggest frustration was that his team had done enough to win the match but failed to manage the final moments properly.
The late equaliser has therefore led to debate over whether Carrick’s substitutions and tactical adjustments helped United maintain control or instead allowed Everton to gain additional momentum. Bringing Santos into the tactical equation has become a particular point of discussion among supporters who believe the manager may have made the wrong call at a crucial stage of the match.
United had appeared to have the game under control after Sesko’s late header. At that moment, the visitors only needed to remain organised, defend the spaces and prevent Everton from producing one final opportunity. Instead, Everton were allowed to continue attacking, and Maitland-Niles punished United with an extraordinary strike that flew into the net and sparked wild celebrations among the home supporters.
For Carrick, the result represented another painful lesson about game management. Reuters reported that the United manager was frustrated by the stoppage-time equaliser and felt his team had performed well offensively and controlled large periods of the match.
The bigger concern for Manchester United is that the Everton draw exposed a weakness that could become increasingly costly if it is not corrected quickly. United have shown that they possess enough attacking quality to score goals, but their ability to close games remains a major question.
The front line produced several promising moments, while the team created enough attacking situations to believe that victory was within reach. Yet football matches are not won simply by producing good attacking moments. Teams competing at the highest level must also know how to protect a lead, slow the game down when necessary and eliminate dangerous situations during the final minutes.
That is exactly where Carrick’s team struggled.
The manager now faces pressure to find the right balance in midfield. Santos was brought in because United needed greater quality and depth in that area, particularly following changes to the squad. Carrick had already praised the Brazilian during pre-season, highlighting the positives he saw in his first appearance for the club. Santos completed 93 percent of his passes, created two chances and made four defensive contributions during that appearance, giving supporters reason to believe that he could play an important role under Carrick.
But one thing is becoming increasingly clear: Carrick cannot afford to make tactical decisions based solely on individual quality. Every substitution must also take into account the state of the match, the opponent’s momentum and the amount of time remaining.
Against Everton, United were desperately close to victory. Had they defended the final few minutes more effectively, the discussion surrounding Santos and Carrick’s decisions would probably have been completely different. Instead, the late equaliser has opened the door for critics to question whether the manager’s tactical choices contributed to the collapse.
There is also an argument that blaming one player or one substitution would be unfair. Manchester United conceded two spectacular goals during the match, and the final equaliser was an exceptional long-range strike rather than a straightforward defensive error. Maitland-Niles produced a moment of individual quality that would have been difficult for almost any goalkeeper to stop.
That makes the situation more complicated for Carrick.
The manager cannot simply point to Santos and declare that one decision cost United the victory. The problems were collective. United needed better defensive concentration, better control of possession and greater composure once they regained the lead.
Nevertheless, the debate surrounding Santos is unlikely to disappear immediately. The Brazilian is one of the most expensive and closely watched additions to Carrick’s new-look midfield, and every performance will be analysed closely. Supporters want to see whether he can develop into the dominant midfielder United hoped they were buying.
Carrick himself has previously expressed confidence in the player’s ability. Santos arrived at Old Trafford after an impressive period with Strasbourg, where he scored 11 goals and registered five assists. His performances convinced United that he could become a valuable part of the midfield rebuild.
The Everton match, however, demonstrated that talent alone will not solve United’s problems.
Carrick must now decide whether Santos should remain an important part of his midfield plans or whether the team requires a different combination of players in difficult away matches. The answer could become particularly important as United prepare for a demanding period that includes Champions League football.
Despite the disappointment, Carrick has insisted that United are in a good place and has defended the work done during the transfer window. The club spent heavily on midfield reinforcements, with Santos, Baleba and Tielemans arriving as part of the rebuilding process.
The manager therefore has little reason to abandon his plans after one disappointing result.
What he must do is learn from it.
Manchester United were seconds away from taking three points from Everton, and the fact that they ultimately left with only one will hurt. The players now have to demonstrate that the collapse was an isolated incident rather than the beginning of another pattern of dropped points.
For Santos, the pressure will be even greater. The midfielder will need to show Carrick and the supporters that he can handle the intensity of Premier League football and contribute when matches become difficult.
For Carrick, the lesson is equally important. His tactical decisions will continue to come under scrutiny, particularly whenever United fail to protect a lead.
The Everton draw was not simply a case of United being unlucky. It was a warning that promising performances must eventually be converted into consistent results. United scored twice, controlled large periods of the match and twice found themselves ahead, yet they still failed to win.
That is the part Carrick will have to address.
Whether Santos was genuinely responsible for the failure or simply became the easiest target for criticism remains open to debate. What is certain is that United cannot afford to repeat the same mistakes. With Champions League football approaching and major Premier League fixtures ahead, Carrick must quickly find a reliable formula for controlling games from the first whistle until the final seconds.
The 2-2 draw at Everton may therefore become an important turning point in Manchester United’s season. It exposed weaknesses, raised questions about Carrick’s tactical management and placed additional attention on several of his summer signings.
Most importantly, it reminded everyone at Old Trafford that a Manchester United team cannot consider a match won until the referee blows the final whistle.