Michael Carrick saw his Manchester United side beat Liverpool 3-2 at Old Trafford on Sunday. But it didn’t look good for a while.
The Reds fell 2-0 down by the interval. A second half fightback saw them draw level. Then Kobbie Mainoo won it 13 minutes from time. Cue bedlam.
Liverpool were missing Alexander Isak, Mohamed Salah and Hugo Ekitike. So Arne Slot opted for a box midfield, with Dominik Szoboszlai and Florian Wirtz both acting as number 10s. No recognised striker.
Carrick? He’d seen it coming.
‘WE THOUGHT THEY’D OVERLOAD THE MIDFIELD’
“We thought with the players available they would try and overload the midfield and it would be a big challenge for us,” Carrick said.
“We have got some dangerous forwards but were asking them to work off the ball.”
The first half mistakes were costly. Szoboszlai and Cody Gakpo capitalised on United blunders. But Carrick refused to point fingers.
“We made just two mistakes, and both Amad (Diallo) and Senne (Lammens) have been immense for us. We bounced back and finished well, with players coming off the bench.”
‘SPIRIT AND CHARACTER’ THE TURNAROUND
Old Trafford could have turned toxic at 2-0 down. It didn’t.
“The way the supporters got behind us after the two goals, it is easy to get frustrated, and spirit and character shows when it is a bit of a challenging time,” Carrick said.
“We have built that and there was a lot to be happy with and to be proud of.”
United have now guaranteed a return to the Champions League. That’s huge. They missed out on Europe altogether this season.
“(Champions League qualification) is a huge step for so many reasons, I am not underplaying that. There are signs of improvement and a lot of satisfaction that comes with that, it can’t be everything.
“We want more of that. We expect more of that consistently and that is the message, let’s kick on.”
CARRICK’S FUTURE ‘WE WILL HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE’
Carrick replaced the sacked Ruben Amorim earlier this year. He’ll find out in the coming weeks whether he’s done enough to keep the job permanently.
“When we came in Champions League was a bit in the distance and we wanted to get back into Europe and to be there with three games to spare is a big achievement,” he said.
“Whatever it is going to happen is going to happen.”
That’s not a yes. That’s not a no. That’s a man who knows his fate isn’t entirely in his hands.
THE BOTTOM LINE
United were battered in that first half. Made two mistakes. Got punished twice.
But they fought back. They won. They’re back in the Champions League.
Carrick has steadied a ship that was taking on water. Whether that’s enough for the permanent job? We’ll find out soon enough.
One thing’s for sure: that comeback felt special. And Carrick knows it.
