Gary Neville’s pre-match claim that Michael Carrick was in Manchester United’s box appeared to backfire when Maxence Lacroix put Crystal Palace ahead after four minutes against Old Trafford.
However, United extended their unbeaten run to seven games with Carrick’s sixth win since replacing Ruben Amorim, coming from behind to beat 10-a-side Palace 2-1 and move into third place in the Premier League for the first time since May 2023.
The Sky Sports pundit warned his former team-mate of the risks posed by Palace as United look to capitalize on Aston Villa’s surprise blunder against Wolves to boost their chances of qualifying for the Champions League.
United’s Neville said before the game: “Their progress was a shock to everyone.” “Michael would never have dreamed of it.
“He’s got to keep it going until the end of the season and today was a big part of that. Games like this can stumble.
“Michael is in the box for work. Looking at the current situation, I think they can qualify for the Champions League.”
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Gary Neville believes Michael Carrick is the frontrunner for the Man United manager’s job
United played their worst 30 minutes of football under Carrick in the first half against Palace, but Neville’s warnings appeared to have gone unheeded.
However, the players once again showed a resilience that was not always present under their previous head coach and regained their composure before the break. Had Casemiro scored an unmarked header from the back post, they might have equalized.
Carrick’s side were firmly in the lead after the restart, but when Lacroix was sent off in the second half, the game swung completely in their favor thanks to the intervention of VAR.
Bruno Fernandes scored from the ensuing spot-kick and set up Benjamin Sesco’s winner, as United avoided a third defeat from behind since Carrick took over.
Benjamin Sesko celebrates his goal
“It was a test for us to be goalless at half-time,” Carrick told Sky Sports. “It’s new for us. We didn’t start the game very well but credit to Palace for doing that. We grew into the game as the first half went on. In the second half we stepped up again.
“It was a big thing to overcome losing an early goal at home against a team that is difficult to break down. It was a big step for us. I was really happy with the way the players worked and responded.”
Neville’s latest comments are significant given his position when Carrick arrived. He said in January that Carrick should not be considered for next season “even if he wins every game”.
Although Carrick does not meet those high standards, he has the highest scoring return in Premier League history after nine Premier League games, including his 2021 interim managerial spell (W1, D1).
Only Ange Postecoglou’s 23 points in nine games at the start of his time with the Spurs matched Carrick. He is just three games away from matching Maurizio Sarri’s record for longest undefeated start.
Even a good start does not guarantee long-term success. No wonder it caught Neville off guard, given how Postecoglou ended up at Spurs. United had won just one of their seven games before Carrick.
“I’m amazed where Michael (Carrick) took what we were watching at Christmas time,” Ms Neville said earlier on Sunday.
“The level of performance against Arsenal and against City was unbelievable. I didn’t expect that.”
Since that big win against a team chasing the Premier League title, there has definitely been a dip with United being less effective against teams expected to dominate.
However, Carrick continued to come up with solutions in the game and had an answer to every problem. He seems to be coaching with the same composure with which he played, and that’s having an impact on the team.
When the whistle blew after a disappointing first half, the United manager could be seen running down the tunnel. When asked if he had any specific changes in mind at the time, he replied with a laugh: “There’s always something.”
“I just made a few tweaks to the shape and didn’t have much of an idea,” he added. “Some of the things we tried from the beginning, we wanted to tweak a little bit, but it’s not a big thing and I don’t really appreciate it.
“As the first half went on, the players showed they were getting better. Sometimes you have to find a way in the game. We wanted to score a little more and attack the opposition’s backline a little more aggressively, but we ended up winning a penalty from there.”
“It was more about how we reacted. (The game) was going in our favor all along and I was waiting for this moment. What would we do about it? The boys reacted better than ever.”
Bruno Fernandes celebrates equalizing goal from the penalty spot
This scenario was unimaginable not too long ago, but it’s becoming increasingly difficult to imagine a world in which Carrick doesn’t have a full-time job. Carrick has made it look easy to bring the comfort factor back to Old Trafford.
“I’m happy,” Carrick said of the fans singing his name. “This place means a lot to me, so I feel very positive and it definitely feels good that I can have an impact on it.
“The players have to give a lot of credit. Of course it’s not all about me.”
Mr Carrick has been far more reserved than his predecessor, but the results have led to more noise about his future. There will be questions about that after games for the rest of the season. It’s inevitable.
United are right to bide their time. This is the path they took until recently. It would be foolish to rush, given how quickly the atmosphere can change over small results and the number of false dawns United have endured.
But if Neville has any basis, even the biggest skeptics will need to reconsider their view of Carrick.
