Michael Carrick insists his Manchester United players have stayed grounded despite their strong start under his leadership.

United won four straight games after Carrick replaced Ruben Amorim last month. The run lifted confidence around the club.

They drew with West Ham on February 10. Some fans saw it as a setback. Frank Ilett’s wait for a celebratory haircut also continued.

Carrick rejected the idea that the result marked a step backwards.

“We must stay balanced,” he said ahead of Monday’s game against Everton. “We didn’t get carried away when we were winning. We won’t overreact when we don’t take three points.

“This league is tough. We controlled large parts of the game. We did many good things.

“The game opened up late when we chased it. But we still looked dangerous.

“Scoring late was a positive. We wanted to win. But we don’t see it as a negative result.”

United sit fourth in the Premier League. They now travel to face Everton at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

David Moyes leads Everton. He previously managed Carrick at United.

“David builds teams that are hard to beat,” Carrick said. “He has huge experience and knows this league.

“We’ve looked forward to this game. Away to Everton is always tough. The atmosphere makes it difficult.

“We know we must improve. But we have a strong base and a good spirit. We’ll need all of that.”

Carrick also confirmed Mason Mount is close to a return. The midfielder has not played since the Manchester derby in mid-January.