'Big fear!' - Gary Neville warns Michael Carrick not to repeat Man Utd’s biggest mistake after Everton collapse

Neville has pulled no punches in his assessment of Manchester United’s latest setback, warning Carrick that he risks repeating the same errors that cost Erik ten Hag and Ruben Amorim their jobs.

United appeared to be cruising toward three points at the Hill Dickinson Stadium before a late surge from the Toffees resulted in a 96th-minute equaliser from Ainsley Maitland-Niles. The result leaves United with just four points from their opening three Premier League fixtures, sparking early concerns about the team's ability to see out games under pressure.

Speaking on the Gary Neville Podcast, the former club captain highlighted a lack of ruthlessness as a primary concern. "Teams think they've got a chance against them," Neville explained. "I thought they were a little bit complacent and I was saying it after the first goal, they lacked that killer instinct before that period when Everton equalised and then they react again.

One of the most contentious aspects of the afternoon was Carrick’s decision to shuffle his backline in the closing stages of the match. Neville was particularly baffled by the withdrawal of key defenders, a move he believes invited unnecessary pressure onto a side already struggling for stability.

Neville voiced his concerns regarding the substitutions of Luke Shaw and Diogo Dalot, comparing the decision to the frequent defensive tinkering seen under previous regimes. "I don't think it's going to go away and that's my big fear," Neville added.

"I think conceding goals is going to chase them and hunt them down the road and I don't know how Michael deals with it because he's got his best back four on the pitch. I don't know why Shaw went off with five minutes to go – hopefully he's not injured."

Carrick remained composed in his post-match analysis but did not shy away from the obvious issues at the back. While he praised the quality of Everton’s goals, he admitted that his side must improve their game management.

Reflecting on the defensive performance, Carrick admitted: "Obviously, we can't ignore it. We need to concede fewer goals to give us a better chance of winning games. We'll certainly look at that and keep improving. There's obviously things we need to get better at as a team."

He added: "There's been two strikes from distance really, two really good strikes from their point of view. Sometimes they fly in the top corner and more often than not they probably don't. Yeah, for sure, it is [on conceding late]."

Beyond the tactical concerns raised by Neville, United are also sweating on the fitness of Marcus Rashford. The forward was taken off during the second half, a move that Carrick later confirmed was due to a physical issue. Rashford had looked sharp on the left wing, linking up effectively with Shaw before his premature exit.

Providing an update on the forward's condition, Carrick said: "He felt a little bit of something, so we had to change him. We had good connections pretty much all over the pitch at different times of the game, and Marcus and Shaw have played together for a long period of time and have a good understanding. And you can see that, they look really dangerous down that side, and there is obviously more to come."