Carrick: We Are Not Giving Up

Manchester United may have only collected another point from the home draw with Everton but Michael Carrick insists the Reds will not give up on a top-four place.

Although the Europa League could emerge as a priority target, the midfielder thinks things will change on the domestic front - even if the table does not make good reading after consecutive draws with West Brom and the Toffees.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic's penalty in injury time may have salvaged something from the midweek clash but United currently sit four points behind Manchester City, having played the same amount of games, and five adrift of third-placed Liverpool with a match in hand. Both City [at Chelsea] and Liverpool [at home to Bournemouth] play on Wednesday night.

"I see it as two points dropped," Carrick told MUTV. “It’s not easy when it’s not going well, especially after Saturday, but the boys kept trying.

"They kept going and kept going and obviously gave us that goal to give us the point. It’s a point but it’s nowhere near enough."

Everton's resilient rearguard action helped to protect their lead, provided by Phil Jagielka's cheeky effort, until the late drama.

"We just can’t find a way to find that first goal and to break teams down and make it easier for us," added Carrick. "Obviously, it’s something you look at and you try to improve on and it’s not just an easy thing you can try and just switch on. I’m sure we’ll get there. I’m sure we’ll improve.

"Generally, the performances have been very good at home. I think it probably wasn’t so good but I thought the lads showed character to keep trying things. In the end, we got a goal but, yes, it’s not enough."

So United sit in fifth spot, although Arsenal will go above the Reds with victory over West Ham United on Wednesday, and the focus must turn to getting a much-needed victory at basement side Sunderland this weekend.

"You can’t give up on anything and results can go funny ways sometimes," he said. "We’re obviously giving ourselves the tougher task but we’re not giving up."