Roy Keane questioned Michael Carrick’s credentials after Manchester United’s 3-2 win over Arsenal, insisting he shouldn’t be appointed permanent manager even if the side ‘win every game from now until the end of the season’.
Top-of-the-table Arsenal saw their advantage at the summit cut to just four points as second-half substitute Matheus Cunha came on and beat David Raya with a superb strike to silence the Emirates crowd in the 87th minute.
The visitors were forced to come from behind to earn maximum points in the capital after Lisandro Martinez directed the ball into his own net to break the deadlock on the half-hour mark.
A rare misplaced pass from Martin Zubimendi gifted the visitors an equaliser through Bryan Mbeumo before Patrick Dorgu’s emphatic 50th-minute effort sent the away end into a frenzy.
The league leaders had looked on course to salvage a point from the contest as Mikel Merino nudged the ball home after a goalmouth scramble with six minutes of normal time remaining – but Cunha had other ideas after coming on in place of Mbeumo.
The result saw the Red Devils leapfrog Chelsea into fourth place in the table, with Carrick securing six points against the Premier League’s top two after the club’s shock derby day victory over Manchester City in their previous outing.
Given the strength of opposition, even the most optimistic of United fans would surely have struggled to envisage such an outstanding start from Carrick in the Old Trafford hot seat.
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But there is already some talk of Carrick being given the job on a permanent basis if he continues in the same vein, so impressive has Ruben Amorim’s interim replacement been since taking up the reins.
But Keane has been reluctant to give Carrick his full backing and insisted United required a ‘bigger’ and ‘more experienced’ manager to take on the baton next summer.
‘I think it helps if you’ve got your best players available. That’s a big plus for them, people like Harry Maguire coming back in, you’ve got your attacking options,’ Keane said in the Sky Sports studio shortly after United’s stunning victory.
Metro at the Match: Arsenal 2-3 Manchester United
Metro’s Tom Olver breaks down the winners and losers from Arsenal’s 3-2 defeat to Manchester United at the Emirates.
Gabriel Jesus stutters in centre-forward audition
Given the nod over Viktor Gyokeres after an impressive brace against Inter Milan in midweek, Gabriel Jesus will no doubt have been itching to nail down his spot as Mikel Arteta’s first-choice centre-forward.
But with the Gunners utterly dominant in the early exchanges, Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard combined to provide the main threat from out wide – with the Brazilian a largely peripheral figure through the middle, in stark contrast with Bryan Mbeumo at the other end of the pitch.
It was more of the same from Jesus as the second half wore on and Mikel Arteta had seen enough by the 58th minute, with his side stumbling in search of an equaliser after a spirited fightback from the visitors.
A huge opportunity missed for the former Manchester City attacker as United threw a cat amongst the pigeons in this year’s title race. It leaves Arteta with a tough call to make up front ahead of Arsenal’s return to top-flightaction at Leeds next weekend.
A rare moment to forget for Martin Zubimendi
Martin Zubimendi helped gift United a route back into the game with a horrible lapse in concentration at a crucial stage in the contest before half-time.
Arsenal’s usually metronomic summer signing has hardly put a foot wrong since joining from Real Sociedad and the Spaniard could scarcely believe what he had done as Mbeumo latched onto his misplaced pass before calmly rounding David Raya and stroking the ball home.
An unwanted collector’s item for Zubimendi and a moment he will not want to repeat any time soon.
Even ignoring his blunder, there was a distinct lack of creativity and urgency from Zubimendi when the hosts badly needed someone to stand up and take the game by the scruff of the neck.
Arsenal match ratings: Raya 7, Timber 7, Saliba 5, Gabriel 5, Hincapie 6, Zubimendi 4, Rice 7, Odegaard 6, Saka 6, Trossard 6, Jesus 4. Subs: White 4, Merino 7, Eze 5, Madueke 5, Gyokeres 4.
A mixed day for Martinez
Martinez has endured surely his toughest period yet as a United player and things went bad to worse for the diminutive centre-back on the half-hour mark at the Emirates.
After being on the end of some scathing criticism from Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt, the Argentine will have been desperate to build on his encouraging display against Manchester City.
But another of United’s Class of ’92 was left less than impressed as Martinez – put under pressure from Jurrien Timber – directed the ball into his own net to open the scoring for Arsenal. ‘He should deal with it,’ said Gary Neville on Sky Sports.
Martinez did, though, show great resilience to keep his chin up to help keep the likes of Saka, Trossard and Jesus quiet alongside a near-faultless Harry Maguire at the heart of Michael Carrick’s defence.
Bryan Mbeumo the big-game competitor
Bryan Mbeumo further showed himself to be perhaps United’s most shrewd piece of summer transfer business with just the latest in a long line of eye-catching performances for the club.
He more than deserved his first-half goal, helping force a rare misplaced pass from Zubimendi with some relentless pressing through the middle. The subsequent finish had all the coolness and confidence of a player well and truly at the peak of his powers.
It’s no coincidence that United’s resurgence under Michael Carrick has coincided with Mbeumo’s welcome return from the Africa Cup of Nations.
The £71million spent on Mbeumo will prove to be a steal if the Cameroon international continues in the same vein over the coming weeks and months, adding to his already impressive scoring tally.
Carrick won’t mind Mbeumo’s animated reaction to being substituted for Matheus Cunha in the 68th minute. It’s exactly that kind of character and personality that the club have badly lacked for so long in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era.
Patrick Dorgu comes of age
Michael Carrick was full of praise for Patrick Dorgu’s ‘immense’ performance after a dream derby day for United – and the Dane picked up where he left off this weekend.
It’s fair to say the youngster has had an up-down start to his United career since becoming the first signing of Ruben Amorim’s turbulent reign. But his talent has always been undoubted – it’s just that he is now beginning to showcase that ability on a far more consistent basis.
His 50th-minute wonder strike – which Neville branded ‘the goal of a lifetime’ – was the standout moment of quality… that’s until Cunha provided some serious competition with his stunning effort to win it in the closing stages.
Such a shame that a suspected hamstring injury cut short Dorgu’s showing with ten minutes remaining in the capital. Carrick will be praying it’s not as bad as it appeared and he is able to make a speedy return to the fold.
Man Utd player ratings: Lammens 7, Dalot 6, Maguire 8, Martinez 6, Shaw 6, Casemiro 6, Mainoo 6, Amad 5, Fernandes 7, Dorgu 8, Mbeumo 8. Subs: Cunha 8, Sesko 5, Mazraoui 5.
‘The fact is that City had a big midweek game, Arsenal had a big midweek game. All these little details do help.
‘The one thing you would say with United is that, in these last two performances, they’ve certainly played with a lot of energy. They’ve had that look about them.
‘All the talk during the season was that United have no real distractions, but when I was watching them in the games it looked like they had loads of distractions, they weren’t playing on the front foot or with that energy.
‘The last couple of performances, they’ve looked that way and certainly their confidence and belief, even from the first few minutes today, there was something about them.’
According to Keane, Carrick is not the man to help steer United back to their former glory and to a level where they are capable of challenging for major silverware of a consistent basis.
‘Two big results,’ the former United captain said of Carrick’s start.
‘I think if United win every game from now until the end of the season, I still wouldn’t be giving him the job.
‘I just think they need a bigger, more experienced manager. Simple as that.
‘Carrick could win every game. The timing coming into the job was fantastic for him and he’s said it there, he’s enjoying it.
‘You enjoy management when you’re winning football matches, of course, but I think the size of the club and the challenges they face over the next few years… you want a manager you feel will come in and get Manchester United winning league titles.
‘Are we all going to sit here and think Michael Carrick will get Manchester United winning league titles? If you think on the back of two wins that he warrants the job then that’s your opinion and I’m entitled to mine.
‘I don’t believe he’s the man to get Manchester United back winning league titles.’
Gary Neville appeared far more willing to applaud Carrick on the job he had done since taking charge as interim head coach at such a difficult time for the club.
However, irrespective of where United finish the season, the ex-England right-back hopes to see a ‘world-class’ manager like Thomas Tuchel or Carlo Ancelotti in the hot seat come the start of next season.
‘He’s a really good person, he was a fantastic football player, he’s understated, he’s composed and he will not get too high or too low.
‘A few weeks ago, before the first game, I think everybody in football thought that a really successful thing would be for Michael Carrick to hold the baton for the rest of the season, put some happiness back into the players and fans, get the performance levels and try and get them into Europe – and if he does that, hand the baton over.
Should Carrick be given the permanent job if United finish in the top four?
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Yes
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No
‘That was what everyone was thinking three or four weeks ago.
‘Manchester United have acted emotionally a number of times in these last 10-12 years. Honestly, I could not be happier about these last two weeks. The familiarity of what I’m watching feels like I’m watching my team play again, properly.’
Neville – an eight-time Premier League winner with United – added: ‘Forget the fact they’ve won the games, they’ve just played the game properly, how I would expect them to play, with the intensity and energy and quality.
‘So I think it’s right that Michael Carrick keeps the job until the end of the season and hands the baton over to a Thomas Tuchel, Carlo Ancelotti, someone of that world-class ilk. That’s what his job is now.
‘Michael is an unemotional guy. He will realise that what I’m saying here is something that I said two weeks ago.’
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