Michael Carrick could not have wished for a better start to his second spell as Manchester United’s interim head coach.
Not only did Michael Carrick and his coaching staff produce a 2-0 derby day win over Manchester City, but completely outclassed Pep Guardiola’s side.
Guardiola was left baffled, with Manchester United running the cross-city noisy neighbours ragged, with the scoreline actually flattering the visitors.
Carrick has earned fans’ support already, and whatever happens next, this win was better than anything under Ruben Amorim.
Michael Carrick is off to the PERFECT START at Man Utd, and he wants more!
Why do you think it went SO RIGHT for Carrick against City?
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However, even before the win, Carrick had earned goodwill and credit from fans for taking the easiest win possible and reversing Amorim’s worst decision.
Michael Carrick made immediate point of saving Kobbie Mainoo’s career at Manchester United
Before Carrick arrived, Kobbie Mainoo looked set for the departure gate at Manchester United, but upon being appointed, this changed immediately.
Kobbie Mainoo running during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Manchester City at Old Trafford in 2026 in Manchester, England.
Photo by Neal Simpson/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images
According to the Daily Mail, Mainoo had previously been desperate to leave the club on loan this month, but Carrick changed this.
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After arriving, one of the ‘first moves’ made by the head coach was to sit down with Mainoo and assure him that he would be key for the rest of this season.
Mainoo repaid this faith against City with a brilliant performance in midfield, neutralising Rodri and offering so much on and off the ball.
For Carrick to immediately undo Amorim’s decision to effectively force Mainoo out, and then for that performance to directly follow, speaks volumes. It also demonstrates just how wrong Amorim was.
Should Kobbie Mainoo be an automatic starter under Michael Carrick now?
Kobbie Mainoo only needed 90 minutes to prove Ruben Amorim wrong!
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Stats: SkySports, picture: Getty
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Kobbie Mainoo once again looks like the future of Manchester United
Carrick hailed Mainoo after his performance in the derby, and hopefully, he can use that performance and never look back.
It was only a few months ago that Diogo Dalot picked Mainoo as a future club captain, and while it looked like a confusing choice at the time, we now see it is a real possibility again.
Having returned to his best, United are planning new contract talks with Mainoo, which should be a success given how vital he is set to become under Carrick.
Carrick getting Mainoo back to the level he was at pre-Amorim is more than enough reason for him to be considered for the permanent job.
Now, we await the next time we get to see Mainoo play football.
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