José Mourinho sticks to script after Manchester United draw at Everton

• Clumsy late challenge from Fellaini allows Everton to equalise with penalty
• Mourinho says team are playing well but ‘not getting the results we deserve’

A visibly frustrated José Mourinho has insisted Manchester United are playing well despite their sixth Premier League draw of the season. The 1-1 draw against Everton leaves United sixth, nine points behind the fourth-placed Manchester City and a further four behind the leaders, Chelsea, after 14 matches.

United led through Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s 43rd-minute opener but Marouane Fellaini’s clumsy challenge a minute from time gave away a penalty from which Leighton Baines equalised.

Related: José Mourinho admits Premier League title is some way off for United

Mourinho indicated he could not blame Fellaini, who had just entered as a replacement, as he did not see the incident. But when asked about the run of draws, the manager said: “Another game with a very good performance in a very difficult place to play, a very emotional stadium against a team with very good players. We are playing very well at home, super-dominant. We are playing very well away with some amazing performances from [Phil] Jones and [Marcos] Rojo, but not getting the results we deserve. When you play bad you can try to play well. When you play well there is nothing more you can do.

“You try to keep playing well. This is what we are doing for a long time, playing well – better than our opponents. Getting draws but deserving victories so our opponents are leaving the stadium super-happy with draws they don’t deserve. We cannot do nothing. We go back to work.”

Mourinho hinted that he is being criticised for United not being as single-minded as his some of his previous sides. “When my team are playing pragmatic football and winning matches and winning titles, you say it is not right and nice. When my teams play very well, there is a huge change in relation. Now you say what matters is to get the result. We have to score more goals instead of hit the post [as did Ander Herrera] - 2-0 goodbye.

“We were the best team by far, but we didn’t win. We had chances for a 2-0 and had the ball against the post and then we conceded a goal in the last minute. I notice my team trying always to play the 90 minutes in the same way, but that is not always possible because your opponent tries to react which they did a little bit in the last 10 or 15 minutes. I am concerned because we don’t get results we deserve. When my teams play matches in a different style what matters is style of football. When you have teams playing defensive counter attack football they get praise.

“When my team is playing well the results are important. I am pleased my team is playing well. It is a problem that our position in the table is not a reflection of our performances. If you tell me in any one of our draws we were more close than our opponents. This season, what matters is the results not the quality of football.”

Of the decision to bring on Fellaini Mourinho said: “It is obvious. Everton is not a passing team. They play direct. Everything is direct. When a team is losing a plays direct, when you have a player on the bench with two metres to play in front of the defensive line to win the match [you do it].”

Everton remain eighth, although they have now won only once in nine league matches. The manager, Ronald Koeman, said: “We showed fighting spirit. They had a good chance for 2-0. We showed commitment and our qualities. The three subs had a big impact in the game and [we] deserved [the draw] because we were the most dangerous team in the second half.”