I will not get carried away after two wins under interim manager Michael Carrick.
Say it with me, folks.
I will not get carried away after two wins under interim manager Michael Carrick. I will not get carried away after two wins under interim manager Michael Carrick. I will not get carried away after two wins under interim manager Michael Carrick. I will not get carried away after two wins under interim manager Michael Carrick. I will not get carried away after two wins under interim manager Michael Carrick.
Deep breath. In… out…
Okay, let’s get into it.
Without getting carried away too much with two wins under interim manager Michael Carrick, it’s abundantly clear to anyone with eyes that this is a different Manchester United team in a very good way. From basically the start of the 2023/24 season until now, there has been a lot of uncertainty and worry about where the club is heading, particularly under new leadership with Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS taking over in January of 2024 and still assembling a front office of decision makers by the time the first big decisions of their tenure came about in the summer.
Sticking with Erik ten Hag only to sack him in the fall, and then bringing in Ruben Amorim midseason to implement a drastic change in system on the way to a 15th-placed finish felt like a low point. Then Amorim chose self-destruction over adaptation midseason to leave the Reds without a manager once again in January, and the low feeling returned.
It is well documented by myself that I was not a fan of the way Amorim ran things, but above personal preference is the practicality of the situation that he simply never acknowledged. To follow that up with the method of his departure only helped to insure that he would not be missed.
Unless the club continued to fumble.
Rather than risk another midseason change in leadership, United turned to one of their own in Michael Carrick, who has since delivered two thrilling wins over two hated rivals.
And now the feeling is back.
It’s not a feeling that United are going to set the league aflame, and certainly not a feeling that silverware is on the horizon. It would, after all, take a historic collapse by three different clubs as well as a remarkable renaissance for United even to have a shot at the league in May. Losses in the opening rounds of the League Cup and FA Cup mean that there is only the league left to play for, and the prize of European qualification and some much-needed television money. For now, that’s enought, and it may even help to keep the feeling going.
The change in shape and tactics is obvious, but equally noticeable is the change in the way the players carry themselves. The feeling isn’t just “The United Way,” it’s a self belief that wasn’t there a month ago. This is a squad that has had their confidence restored, and its flowing through them on the pitch in a big way. Without it, Patrick Dorgu may not rifle a half-volley into the top corner. Matheus Cunha may hesitate to shoot when space opens up. Lisandro Martinez may think twice about going to ground to attack a through ball towards Noni Madueke. Senne Lammens may hold his ground rather than pounce after a heavy touch.
Beyond the pitch, the feeling is there in the stands as well. The fans have been in full voice since before kickoff against City, and its reminiscent of the interim period under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. In that way it is in part due to the return of a beloved figure from the club’s past, someone who understands the club, and as such it feels restorative almost. It feels as though there is a correspondence between the fans and the club that had been damaged by the changes under new leadership.
Going back to the beginning, it’s not the time to get carried away with Carrick. There is a lot of football left to play.
If the decision were to be made today, he seems the likely candidate, which is why the decision for the club at present was to hand him the keys. He’ll have 15 matches to stack his resume, matches against teams who will commit to a low block, teams that may not surrender as much space in behind as City or attack as conservatively as Arsenal. Those will be their own challenges to help build a complete picture of what Carrick in charge at United will actually look like.
But for now, the feeling is back. The feeling that the team will get after teams, will commit to 50-50 balls, or even 30-70 balls. The feeling that the team understands what the fans want to see and will do what they can to give it to them.
The feeling that we’re watching Manchester United again, and that’s a feeling to savor.
