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What did Carrick say at half-time?

Carrick's post-Roma press conference

Manchester United boss Michael Carrick said he spoke in the changing room at half-time about the magic nights that Old Trafford can produce, ahead of his players harnessing that same energy to complete an incredible comeback against Roma.

The Reds were 3-2 winners at Old Trafford thanks to Bruno Fernandes's second-half penalty to halve the deficit, before Matheus Cunha scored a sensational late brace to turn the game on its head.

Carrick had felt quietly confident that his team were still in the game at the halfway stage, despite the unenviable position we found ourselves in, trailing to Matias Soule's opener and Donyell Malen's penalty to double the away side's lead at the break.

The topic of how the players responded was on the agenda for our head coach in his post-match press conference. Carrick also spoke about the performances of Cunha, who was sent off late on, Shea Lacey and Youri Tielemans, as well as giving an update on Carlos Baleba after he was forced off early in the second half.

You can watch the boss's press conference above or read his quotes in full below...

On his emotions at full-time...

"Yeah, proud of a lot of people, actually, proud of the players. They deserve a lot of credit for pulling through that in a tough situation. And for the supporters, I could feel they were desperate for us to give them something so they could get their teeth into. Frustrated and disappointed, as we all were, going in at half-time, I spoke about it to the players about the second half and what this place can do in moments and one moment can really flip it. We came out second half really well, we just stayed really positive through the whole second half. To see it come through and so many positives, had to keep going to get that at the end, I’m really pleased for an awful lot of people for that one. It’s one win so we’re not getting too carried away but it was an important one for us."

On whether this victory can bring about a fresh start...

"Exactly that, I’m not getting too carried away with things. It’s an important night and I think it’s important for some of the players to have the feeling that they maybe haven’t had here before, some of the lads that came this year, some of the boys that came maybe even last year, maybe who haven’t had a feeling of that. So I think it’s important for them to know what that means and know how it feels, it’s pretty obvious to say but until you’ve really gone through it and felt it and had to dig deep and come out the other side, sometimes you don’t know what it’s like. We have to take stock, we have to stay calm and prepare for another big game on the weekend [against Aston Villa]."

Amad on the ball for Man Utd v Roma | 3 November 2026

Building a platform and putting together a 90-minute performance with more calm...

"On the face of it, the first half, the score and moments and that, it maybe didn’t look good or feel good, I actually thought at the start of the game, we initially started alright. They’re a good team, they played man-for-man pretty much all over the pitch, it’s tough to find the solutions and to find the spaces. It was always going to be a bit sticky, we gave them the opportunities, too much space, soft opportunities. But I felt we were coming into the game, we were getting around their box enough in the first half, it was progressing to give us a lot of encouragement. I just said about not getting too disappointed about what goes wrong because the way they play, they’re going to stop you a lot of the time. You’ve got to keep believing there’s moments in us, if anything, probably getting too frustrated and disappointed within the game and we certainly didn’t do that second half. There was enough to get disappointed and frustrated with but we didn’t let ourselves do that. Bruno had to go again, Carlos to start with had to come off, Youri was fantastic when he came on. Bruno having to retake the penalty, didn’t get disappointed, Bryan’s chance, two corners where we could have scored from, there were plenty of moments to feel sorry for ourselves but we didn’t let ourselves do that. I think that was the big difference. The supporters, I’ve said it, they’re desperate for us to give them something and we definitely gave them that tonight."

Michael Carrick shot for MUTV interview video

On Shea Lacey’s performance...

"Not going too over the top, but at the same point absolutely delighted for Shea, we love him to bits, he’s a great young man, he’s desperate to do well, he’s got great ability. So in terms of coming inside and finding the pass, that’s not surprising, he’s got that. He’s got that little glint in his eyes, he plays with a bit of mischief so he’s always looking to have that. I was just as happy seeing him defending as a right-back when we needed that and they’re the moments where, as a rounded footballer, you’ve got to be able to do that. So I was just as pleased seeing him do that and the defensive side. And seeing younger players taking the opportunity. I think he gave everybody a bit of a lift coming on the pitch and it’s fantastic to see he made the most of what he had tonight."

Whether the players feed off the crowd...

"The players 100 per cent feed off the crowd, absolutely no doubt whatsoever, they feed off the crowd. And the supporters, I understand there’s frustration and disappointment, I totally get that. Coming back to the way the supporters were with us at Chelsea at the weekend and struggling that second half, 2-0 down with 10 men, they were there, they were totally there, and probably at a time when it was easy for them not to be there, they were there. I felt even tonight, there was frustration, of course there was, but I knew, I know what they’re like, and we had to give them something to go on and to be fair to the boys, they did second half. That’s when everyone feeds off each other and we’ve got to keep giving them enough for them to be there for us."

What he said to the players at half-time...

"At half-time, I was wanting them to be more positive if anything and not getting too disappointed and frustrated. The easiest thing is when you keep trying to do something is feeling sorry for yourself and if something goes wrong, you get disappointed, and that’s not going to help anybody, we might as well all go home if that’s the case. You have to keep looking for the next moment and the next solution. I don’t like keep talking to the lads about what this place can do, history and what’s gone before them too much, but it’s there, this place does magical things. It’s done it before and it will do it over and over again at some point in the future because talking about the supporters, there’s just something in this place that, when we do have these type of nights, we do it the hard way. But one moment can flip the whole place in a whole different direction and give it a whole different feeling. I spoke about that with the boys and let’s have one moment that can trigger it, and we had that, we had more than one moment and that’s what you get from the end of it."

Bruno's penalty retake...

"It felt a little bit of… I didn’t chuckle, I didn’t smile, I wasn’t happy about it, but it felt almost like a bit of chuckle of: ‘There’s another moment.’ At the same time, I was quite calm because I had a feeling that the boys were there and they were in a place leaving the changing room that they felt something could happen. I have to say for Bruno to double take that penalty and go again, that’s not necessarily an easy place. So for him to have the mentality and finish that, he deserves a lot of credit for that."

Matheus Cunha looks on in home shirt

Asked about Carlos Baleba’s condition and Cunha’s performance...

"I haven’t got any more news on Carlos at this stage, but it’s his hamstring, so we’ll just have to assess what that looks like. Initially, it doesn’t look great. Timelines, I haven’t got much more to give you. I thought the way Youri stepped into the game, though, showed everything he’s about. He’s not had the ideal start here in terms of the team and the run that we’ve been on, but his personality, his character, and stepping into the team like he did just showed everything he’s about. He’s a top, top human being, and I love having him around for everything that he brings. I’m massively impressed with Youri and the way he came into the game. Matheus can do those things, he has those moments. We put him inside, we swapped him with Bryan at half-time to try to get him in the middle of the pitch, to try to give us a little bit of a different shape, putting him in the centre of the pitch. He found himself in good positions. Disappointed with how it finished but, again, it just shows how much he cares and he’s willing to do, when he’s in that frame of mind and he’s in that mood, that’s why we want him here."

Bruno Fernandes takes selfie with MOTM award v Roma

Whether there was a sense of relief at full-time and sleeping better as a result...

"No, I don’t [feel more relieved], whether that’s right or wrong, I don’t know. I didn’t feel relief, it was more I was genuinely pleased for the players, I know how much they care and I know what they’re giving. Sometimes it looks like that, sometimes it doesn’t, sometimes we play and sometimes we haven’t and I understand that. But I could feel their willingness to do well, and so for them to have to dig really deep, and just for everybody to feel the responsibility of that. So to see everybody having that feeling that we all crave, and that’s why we’re all here. I really 100 over cent wasn’t thinking about me in that moment, it was just more seeing everybody and feeling what we can generate when we do things right."

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