Another game, more dropped points: Are Man United still a work in progress?

Michael Carrick had his head in his hands. As pandemonium erupted all around him at Hill Dickinson Stadium, the Manchester United boss was decidedly not in the party mood after watching his team squander two precious Premier League points against Everton. In isolation, there was very little that could have been done to prevent Everton debutant Ainsley Maitland-Niles' long-range, 96th-minute equaliser from arrowing past goalkeeper Senne Lammens and into the top corner. But the manner in which United ceded the initiative after twice taking the lead in Sunday's 2-2 draw will trouble Carrick and his staff. The visitors arrived on Merseyside buoyed by last weekend's thumping victory over newly-promoted Ipswich Town. However, even in that emphatic 5-2 win -- just as in the bruising 2-0 defeat to Hull City on the opening weekend -- some of United's enduring deficiencies were laid bare. It was the same story against Everton, where Carrick's side too often looked ponderous and uninspired. Despite Bruno Fernandes rattling the crossbar with a fine effort in the opening exchanges, Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford went into the half-time break without having made a single meaningful save. It fell to United forward Bryan Mbeumo to conjure up some magic just a minute into the second half, driving inside from the right flank and bending a strike into the bottom of Pickford's net. At that point, Everton looked shellshocked but United failed to truly go for the jugular and paid the price when young winger Tyrique George restored parity for the hosts seven minutes from time. A thumping late header from substitute Benjamin Sesko -- after a sublime cross from the impressive left back Luke Shaw -- almost provided United with a reprieve before Maitland-Niles' stunner denied Carrick's side the win. "We're bitterly disappointed," the United boss said in his postmatch news conference. "To be up in the position we were in in the game twice, so close to the end, and all the work that went into putting us in that position at different stages, to come away like that is not a great feeling. "It feels like a defeat which is the obvious thing to say at this stage. We have taken a point, we can't ignore that but it feels like we should have had a lot more." There were, at least, some positives for United to take. After a summer dominated by talk of the club's desperate need for a left-back, Shaw excelled in that position and linked up well with the reinvigorated Marcus Rashford. The forward -- making his second consecutive start for the club he had looked almost certain to leave earlier in the summer -- was a constant thorn in the side of the Everton defence before he was substituted in the second half after "feeling a bit of something". "He's done very well," Carrick said of the England international. "As I said during the week, he's done really well since he came back. He looked really sharp today and dangerous. That final moment didn't quite drop for him but nevertheless he created really good opportunities and gave us a big threat throughout the game." Still, Rashford's ingenuity was not enough to see off an Everton side that were there for the taking on Sunday afternoon. It has been a turbulent week for David Moyes side, who lost winger Iliman Ndiaye to Manchester City on deadline day before an eleventh-hour move for AS Monaco striker Folarin Balogun spectacularly collapsed. Everton's chaotic transfer window means they are left with just 18 senior outfield players and with just one senior striker in Thierno Barry. However, time and time again under Moyes, the Blues have proven themselves adept at rallying in the face of adversity. That was most certainly the case on Sunday, with fine performances from summer signings George and Hayden Hackney offering cause for optimism before debutant Maitland-Niles' stunner provided the beleaguered home crowd with a moment to savour. "I think [it's important] for us to give the crowd big moments," Moyes said after the game. "It was a big moment to get back in the last minute. It didn't feel as big for me because I wanted to win and I felt we were capable of winning. That meant I was happy to get the point but obviously a bit disappointed because I want to win my home games. It was a brilliant goal and I thought it was a big moment for the crowd as well. I think it was good for them. "I want us to be a club that is building, ambitious and trying to challenge the top teams in the Premier League." United, too, have a challenge ahead. For just the second time in the last 50 years, they have conceded two goals in each of their first three games of a league season, along with 2020-21. The visit of Sabah to Old Trafford in midweek marks the club's welcome return to the UEFA Champions League but also the start of an increasingly demanding schedule. It hasn't quite been the start to the season United will have hoped for. From here on in, it will only get harder.