Michael Carrick’s first game back as interim manager of Manchester United saw arguably their best performance of the season, sweeping aside Manchester City 2-0 in a manner reminiscent of the glory days of which Carrick was part.
For one afternoon, the pall that has sat so heavily over the club in recent years lifted. Ruben Amorim’s unhappy time at the club is over, clear in Carrick’s implementation of a back four as red shirts streamed towards goal with abandon. For all the misery there’s been, in an irregularly even Premier League season, they sit fifth. Next up, Arsenal.
‘They have to make sure that it’s not one isolated afternoon. They’ve got sixteen games for the rest of the season, and have all week to prepare for them because they’re not in Europe, not in competition for Cups. So, they absolutely have to go for it,’ Henry Winter told Box2Box.
‘I know Carrick well, I spent a year helping him write his book in 2018 and this hasn’t surprised me, because I know how tough he is. What he’s been through – growing pains as a kid, almost ending up in a wheelchair, the depression he got from being run around by Messi in the 2009 Champions League final – he’s been through things young players have been through, or are going through.
‘It’s given him those people skills, the ‘horse whisperer’ element, to deal with young players. So it hasn’t completely surprised me. If Carrick can get Manchester United back into the Champions League, that will obviously enhance his own case, but also make Manchester United even more attractive for A-list managers.’
Catch the full chat with Henry in the player below…