Michael Carrick is looking for answers after Manchester United’s recent defeat. He acknowledges the performance was not what was hoped for and that lessons will be learned. He says the team will respond positively.
Carrick isn’t about to publicly criticise his players. Unlike his predecessor, he won’t be saying “this is maybe the worst team in the history of Manchester United”.
Carrick Aims to Learn From Defeat
Carrick knows the 11 days between the 2-1 defeat by 10-man Newcastle and the Aston Villa game on 15 March could be the most important of his season. If Manchester United beat Villa, Carrick will have done two things. Firstly, he will have put his club in pole position to qualify for the Champions League.
From a personal perspective, he will also have shown he really can learn from defeats and respond.
Carrick said: “We are bitterly disappointed. It hurts. We came here in good shape. The way it panned out is very disappointing. There is no two ways about that.”
Carrick is right about the results. Six wins and a draw from his first seven games in charge was an excellent return and he headed back to the north-east with a winning mentality.
Performances Not Matching Results
But results never tell the whole story.
Four games ago at West Ham, Manchester United were “stodgy'” by Carrick’s own admission. It took an injury-time Benjamin Sesko goal to salvage a point.
At Everton, Sesko finished off the only notable passage of play from either side. On Sunday, Manchester United’s response to going behind early to Crystal Palace was muted until Matheus Cunha won the penalty that also brought the red card.
Carrick’s team have been getting results, but their most-recent performances have not matched those that beat Manchester City, Arsenal and Fulham at the start of his time at the helm.
Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo have not been a goal threat; Kobbie Mainoo’s performance levels have dipped, while penetration from full-back areas has reduced.
Injury Problems Affecting Squad Depth
It is a basic reality that they do not have limitless numbers of top-quality players. By the final whistle at St James’ Park, Matthijs de Ligt, Mason Mount, Lisandro Martinez, Noussair Mazraoui and Patrick Dorgu were all absent because of injury. Casemiro and Luke Shaw were off the pitch feeling the effects of two hard games in four days. Carrick does not have the squad depth to cover those losses and still keep standards high.
Manchester United lost against 10 men for the second time in just over t