Manchester United v Tottenham Hotspur - Premier League
Luke Shaw has started all of Michael Carrick’s games in charge (Picture: Getty Images)
Luke Shaw has hailed the difference Michael Carrick has made at Manchester United, as the dramatic turnaround from Ruben Amorim’s reign continues.
The Red Devils beat Tottenham 2-0 on Saturday at Old Trafford thanks to goals from Bryan Mbeumo and Bruno Fernandes.
That result continued Carrick’s perfect spell in charge so far, with four wins from four games, having also downed Manchester City, Arsenal and Fulham.
A return to the Champions League is now a good possibility, with United sitting fourth in the Premier League table, just three points behind Aston Villa in third.
They will look to make it five wins on the bounce when they go to West Ham on Tuesday night, with confidence as high as it has been in a long time among the Manchester United squad.
Shaw feels Carrick’s knowledge of the club, having played 464 matches for the Red Devils, has been a huge part of how he is getting the best out of his players.
In what will be a blow to former manager Amorim, Shaw also says Carrick has made a difference, simply because he ‘knows exactly what’s needed to win football matches.’
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Manchester United v Tottenham Hotspur - Premier League
Shaw is getting on very well with Carrick (Picture: Getty Images)
‘He’s made lots of differences,’ Shaw told talkSPORT. ‘But for me, the biggest one is he knows the club, and he knows exactly what’s needed to win football matches, to make everyone happy and to enjoy what we’re doing.
‘He’s, of course, won a lot when he was here as a player. So he understands the club, and I think that’s the biggest thing for me. He knows how to get the best out of the players, and he’s really doing that.’
The 34-cap England international feels the squad has quickly improved their team spirit under Carrick, who is making a strong argument to be given the job permanently beyond his current deal to be in charge for the rest of this season.
Aston Villa v Manchester United - Premier League
Shaw feels much has improved since Ruben Amorim’s departure (Picture: Getty Images)
‘Of course, the culture is extremely important, and day in, day out, how we are as a team, how the mentality is, how the focus is,’ said the 30-year-old.
‘How we push each other day in day out, that’s one thing Carrick has brought it, and I think everyone’s just really enjoying themselves at the moment.
‘You see how important not just the starting 11 are, it’s the ones that are coming off the bench as well, making an impact.
Manchester United v Tottenham Hotspur - Premier League
Michael Carrick is doing an impressive job so far with the Red Devils (Picture: Getty Images)
‘Even when we score in the celebrations, it’s not just the players on the pitch. It’s the ones on the bench that are running around and celebrating, too. And I think that shows a real togetherness.’
The likes of Roy Keane and Gary Neville have said that Carrick should not be given the job beyond this season, however well he does.
If he can keep up this level of performance and these superb results, though, the former England midfielder could make it difficult for the hierarchy not to keep him in the dugout.
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Speaking after the win over Spurs, he said: ‘I feel good. I feel pretty calm in some ways as well. I think we’re in a good spot.
‘It’s nice to see, coming into the stadium and feeling the atmosphere from the supporters and the excitement, sending a lot of people home happy. I know how important that is. At the end, it’s what we’re here for. It gives us a good feeling of wanting more really, in terms of the football side of it.
‘Some good performances and some really good results, we’re just moving on to the next one and not settling for what we’ve got. Not taking things for granted is something we speak about a lot and the boys have been really good for that, so far.’
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