Michael Carrick has been the Man Utd manager for less than half a season, but he’s learned something extremely important twice already.
After the miracles worked by Michael Carrick in this short time, Man Utd are already en route to qualifying for the UCL next season.
By the end of the season, he will have managed 17 games this season, all in the league, which is hardly enough time to be completely at grips.
However, he has revealed that he’s learned an extremely important detail about the club on two occasions.
Michael Carrick now has more wins than Ruben Amorim this season in seven fewer games! What does this tell you…?
Michael Carrick on Man Utd learnings
Carrick hasn’t received as much credit as he deserves for engineering this turnaround, with many quick to write off his results as a result of a refreshed dressing room.
However, no “new manager bounce” lasts 17 games, especially one that has seen Carrick make small tactical tweaks to counter opposition threats every game.
In these 13 games (so far), Carrick has tasted defeat just twice – away at Newcastle and a rust-riddled team lost to Leeds at Old Trafford.
Despite winning nine games, Carrick recently told Sky Sports that his biggest learnings at the club so far have come in the wake of these two defeats.
He said that the team’s unity is tested in defeat, and the way United bounced back from those losses told him that ‘everyone is together’.
He said: “When we’ve had a couple of defeats, we’ve had a little setback [is when I learned the most]. It’s easy when you’re winning to feel that everyone is together.
“But the little bits of setbacks here and there when you see everyone’s reaction, they’re the moments where I think, yeah, everyone’s together.”
United’s response to defeats is Carrick’s biggest strength
It wasn’t long ago that winning back-to-back games had become a thing at Carrington, and United losing points when they had places to be gained in the table was almost taboo.
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Not only has Carrick restored the standards at Old Trafford, but he has also answered all these questions in the process.
For a team whose mentality was repeatedly questioned under previous managers, they have been a remarkable bunch of players.
From dragging three points out of a trip to Arsenal, to winning games against tough opponents following a defeat, they have shown the hallmarks of an elite team.
To achieve all this while still being a work in progress shows the ceiling of this team under Carrick is high.
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