Manchester United made it two wins out of two under Michael Carrick's management at Arsenal on Sunday after some intense work on the training ground at Carrington
Head Coach Michael Carrick of Manchester United in action during a first team training session
Michael Carrick has made a huge impact at Manchester United(Image: Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images)
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Michael Carrick pulled his players off the training pitch in the build-up to Manchester United’s win over Arsenal. Carrick has made the perfect start to his spell as United boss, backing up the 2-0 win over Manchester City in the derby with a stunning 3-2 victory away at the Premier League leaders.
United have been rejuvenated by Carrick’s arrival as interim manager until the end of the season, picking up their best two results of the campaign. Carrick stuck with the same starting XI that beat City for the trip to north London and was rewarded with another impressive result.
Goals from Bryan Mbeumo, Patrick Dorgu and Matheus Cunha saw them become the first side to win at the Emirates Stadium this season. United moved up to fourth place and have a huge sense of positivity around the team for the first time in a long time.
That feeling was there ahead of the Arsenal game, according to Wayne Rooney, who spoke to his former team-mate Carrick the day before. Rooney explained on Match of the Day: “I actually saw him on Saturday morning and he said to me he actually had to stop training because it was that good.
“He wanted to bottle it up and make sure they had that performance for the game the following day, which obviously we’ve seen with it. He’s done superb and I’m absolutely delighted for him.”
Carrick replaced Ruben Amorim and scrapped the 3-4-2-1 formation in favour of a 4-2-3-1 shape. It has immediately reaped benefits and put his name in the frame for the permanent job at the end of the season.
“He brings a level of calmness, which hasn’t been there for quite a while now,” Rooney added. “When you look at Michael Carrick you think he’s a quiet lad, [but] he’s studied the game, he understands the game and he’s gone into that job knowing it’s a difficult one to do and he’s brought the basics back to Manchester United – players working hard, getting behind the ball, running for each other, working for each other and they’re more confident.
LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 25: Arsenal players look on as Matheus Cunha of Manchester United celebrates scoring their third goal during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Manchester United at Emirates Stadium on January 25, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images)
Manchester United have been rejuvenated by Michael Carrick's arrival(Image: Marc Atkins, Getty Images)
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“He’s an unbelievable communicator. I think for the best managers you need to do is make sure every player is happy and wants to play for you. The last two weeks have really shown that – Cunha has come off the bench twice and made an impact with the assist for Mason Mount and the goal against Arsenal.
“He’s given belief into those players. Sometimes with young coaches, and I think with Ruben Amorim when he was there, they’re guilty of overcomplicating things, giving the players too much information. I think Michael has gone in and reminded them of the basics.”
Asked if he could be the right man for the job long-term, Rooney replied: “Of course he can. Michael Carrick has got an opportunity to show everyone that he’s capable of that job. Of course he has to have a consistency about his results and performances, but what we’ve seen is that he’s more than capable of doing it.
“And if it carries on then there will be a massive pressure on Manchester United board to put him in at the end of the season. I know they’ve been there before with Ole [Gunnar Solskjaer], but I think this feels different.”
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