EPL: Why Rashford was substituted in Everton draw – Carrick

Manchester United manager Michael Carrick has revealed that Marcus Rashford was substituted during the club’s 2-2 draw with Everton on Sunday because he was “feeling a bit of something.”

Rashford, who started the Premier League encounter at Hill Dickinson Stadium, was withdrawn in the 70th minute after producing a lively display for United.

Asked about the reason for the substitution after the match, Carrick said, in a statement retrieved on Monday by our correspondent on on the club website, “Yeah, he was feeling a bit of something.”

The England international was one of United’s biggest attacking threats during his time on the pitch, with Carrick praising his performance and saying he had looked sharp since returning to the team.

“Yeah, he’s done very well. As I said during the week, he’s done ever so well since he came back. I thought he looked really sharp again today and dangerous,” Carrick said.

“That final little moment didn’t quite drop for him, but nevertheless, I thought he created really good opportunities, and there was a big threat throughout the game.”

Carrick disappointed with late collapse

United twice took the lead against Everton but were denied victory when Ainsley Maitland-Niles scored a late equaliser.

Bryan Mbeumo opened the scoring for United before Everton’s Tyrique George levelled, while Benjamin Šeško restored the visitors’ advantage.

However, Maitland-Niles’ late strike ensured both sides shared the points.

Carrick admitted the result was particularly painful given how close United came to securing all three points.

“Yeah, we’re disappointed, bitterly disappointed. To be up in the position we were in, [leading] the game twice and so close to the end. And all of the work that went into putting us in that position at different stages, to then come away like that leaves us… yeah, it’s not a great feeling,” he said.

“Feels like a defeat, bit of a cliché, the obvious thing to say at this stage, but we have taken a point and we can’t ignore that, but it feels like we should have a lot more.”

‘It’s not that bad,’ PUNCH Online earlier reported that Carrick had defended Man Utd after Everton draw.

‘We need to concede less goals’

The draw continued United’s defensive concerns, with Carrick acknowledging that the team must improve after conceding twice for the third time this season.

“The mentality is there. I think there’s obviously things we need to get better at as a team,” the United boss said.

“That’s two strikes from distance, really, two really good strikes from their point of view, so sometimes they fly in the top corner, and more often than not, they probably don’t, so there’s a little bit of that.”

“But yeah, obviously we can’t ignore it. We need to concede less goals to give us a better chance of winning games, but we’ll certainly look at that and keep improving.”

Carrick also defended United’s game management after Šeško’s goal, pointing to the quality of Everton’s equalising strike.

“Listen, I think that one strike from the edge, that goes in top the corner and changes the whole feeling, that few minutes,” he said.

“There’s, obviously, when you look back, there’ll be loads of little things that you can do a little bit differently, of course, but he’s put it in the top corner from well outside the box, so sometimes it’s the one of those things.”

Carrick backs United despite slow start

United have taken four points from their opening three league matches, but Carrick rejected the suggestion that the club had made a poor start to the campaign.

Asked whether expectations had made the start look worse because United were expected to build on last season’s form, Carrick said: “We haven’t started the season that bad, to be honest.”

He added: “Yeah, yeah, but it’s not that bad, you know? We were a lot closer to coming away with three points today. That’s football, there are moments that we can deal with a bit better, but we’ll be fine.”

Rashford, Shaw combination impresses

Carrick also praised the understanding between Rashford and Luke Shaw, with the pair combining effectively down United’s left flank.

“I think you’re trying to build those partnerships and combinations throughout the team, really, and they’ve played together for quite some time now and have an understanding,” he said.

“And it’s obviously up to us to build the understandings and combinations all the time.”

Carrick said United had also produced good football through the middle of the pitch at various stages of the match.

“I thought we had that quite a lot through the middle of the pitch today at certain times, I thought we played some really good football through the middle of the pitch and obviously Bryan [Mbeumo] got his goal on the right, Marcus and Luke, were particularly dangerous down that side.”

United will now turn their attention to their next fixtures as Carrick looks to improve the team’s defensive solidity while maintaining the attacking promise shown against Everton, the release concluded.