Michael Carrick has called on his Manchester United squad to build on their impressive performance after a 2-0 victory over Manchester City in his debut match as manager. The win, achieved at Old Trafford on November 4, 2023, was marked by goals from Bryan Mbeumo and Patrick Dorgu, as United showcased a dominant display against their local rivals.
The match saw United control the play effectively, with City managing just one shot on target throughout the 90 minutes. Carrick’s team had three goals disallowed for offside, suggesting that the margin of victory could have been even greater. This result ended a disappointing run of four games without a win under former managers Ruben Amorim and Darren Fletcher, and represents only the second home derby victory over City since 2020.
Consistency is key
Looking ahead to their next fixture against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium, Carrick emphasized the importance of maintaining high performance levels. “That’s the challenge ultimately, and I think it needs to be a version of normal,” he stated. The manager acknowledged that while the emotional highs of a derby win are significant, the team must strive for consistency in their performance.
He continued, “Certainly, we’re not going to have games with the emotion and the feeling of everything that today brought. But there are definitely levels of standards and expectations that we need to live up to from ourselves as much as anyone on the outside.” Carrick underscored that achieving consistency is essential for long-term success.
Carrick, who was appointed manager on November 1, 2023, conducted his first training session just a day before the derby. He expressed satisfaction with the players’ emotional readiness leading into the match, stating, “To be honest, before the game with the coaches, we spoke and we said the boys were in a good place.”
He praised his players for their performance against City, recognizing the challenge posed by their opponents. “City are an unbelievable team with talent and they can rotate and change things. You never really know how the game is going to go, but for it to pan out like that, the boys were fantastic in so many ways,” Carrick said.
In reflecting on the significance of the victory, he added, “It’s a great start, there’s no getting away from that.” With the backdrop of a challenging fixture against Arsenal, Carrick aims to leverage this win as a foundation to build upon as the season progresses.
As Manchester United prepares for their next challenge, the focus will be on translating this victory into a consistent run of form to propel them up the league standings. Carrick’s leadership will be pivotal as he seeks to instill a winning mentality within a squad eager to reclaim their place among the elite in English football.
