Since former manager Ruben Amorim was dismissed and replaced by Michael Carrick at Manchester United, fans have felt more positive about the team’s performance.
Amorim’s time at the club ended poorly as he stuck to his three-at-the-back strategy and was reluctant to use academy player Kobbie Mainoo.
Carrick, a past midfielder for the club, joined with great promise and won the Manager of the Month award in January.
While it’s unclear if he will be given the role permanently in the summer, he’s successfully stabilized the team for Amorim’s future successor.
In his first match—against rivals Manchester City—Carrick led the team to a 2-0 victory, followed by a 3-2 win against Arsenal.
He then secured back-to-back wins against Fulham and Tottenham Hotspur before experiencing his first setback with a 1-1 draw against West Ham United.
Following a 1-0 win over Everton and a 2-1 victory against Crystal Palace, his nearly flawless record ended with a 2-1 loss to Newcastle United, where William Osula scored the late winner. Despite this, United remains third in the standings, ahead of Aston Villa and Chelsea.
Newcastle initially took the lead with an Anthony Gordon penalty, but Casemiro equalized with a header in first-half stoppage time. Osula, however, clinched the win in the 90th minute with a curled shot past Senne Lammens.
According to The Sun, United players feel they have let Carrick down in recent matches, acknowledging their slow starts. A source mentioned, “The players think their performance has hurt the manager, and the gaps between games are affecting their starts. They recognize this and want to improve.”
After the loss to Newcastle, Carrick appeared disappointed. Ignoring his players, he went onto the pitch to acknowledge the away fans. “I’m really, really disappointed with tonight. We need to learn from it, as it’s a lesson for us. We must do better,” he stated.
Hoping to bounce back from their first loss in Carrick’s second tenure at Old Trafford, United will face Unai Emery’s Villa, who are chasing a Champions League spot, before heading to Bournemouth in search of a win.