Michael Carrick praises Manchester United’s spirit in win against Brentford
Michael Carrick praised the “spirit and effort” from his Manchester United players following their 2-1 win against Brentford, while also opening up on his decision to go to three at the back during the showdown at Old Trafford, reports BritPanorama.
The Red Devils piled on the early pressure, which soon translated into goals, as Casemiro found the net to give United the advantage. Benjamin Sesko then extended the lead with the second strike of the evening, capitalising on a pass from Bruno Fernandes, who registered his 19th assist of the season.
Mathias Jensen managed to reduce the deficit for the visitors in the closing stages, but United’s defence held firm to claim the victory. Carrick praised the way his side approached the fixture and dealt with the challenges Brentford imposed on them.
He said: “We came here expecting a tough night. They’re a good team and dangerous. They make you defend and ask a lot of questions. We knew we had to be good tonight. I thought the first 20-25 minutes was as good as we’ve started a game, we were really creative, dynamic with quick football. Positive, good connections through the middle and we found Bruno quite a lot behind their line.”
Carrick shared that his coaching staff made tactical adjustments during the interval to improve coverage in certain areas. The United boss explained: “We tweaked things second half and, for the most part, had decent control. I thought the spirit and effort was fantastic. We could’ve scored more but, at this time of year, it’s a results business. We were going to make it anyway, and then we scored the second goal.”
Reflecting on the performance, he noted: “There were just certain spaces that we needed to cover better. It was purely a tactical decision. In the position we were in at half-time, we wanted to see the game through.” Carrick credited the “spirit and mentality” his players showed in making it back-to-back league wins.
He added: “The way the boys managed it. It’s a tough league to get results in. To get the amount of wins we have, we are delighted with that. On the back of the Leeds result, we’ve shown great spirit and good mentality from the boys. So it was a huge effort from the players. We played some really good football but had to defend well as a team and make blocks.”
Carrick’s endorsement of Fernandes was particularly noteworthy. Discussing the player closing in on the all-time Premier League assist tally, he remarked: “We hope so, of course, [Fernandes breaking the record]. In terms of scoring goals, we’ve pretty much scored in every game. Bruno is a big part of that, but it’s the forward line collective, their relationships.”
The Portuguese is now just one assist behind tying the record, which is currently held by Kevin De Bruyne and Thierry Henry. As United continues to exhibit resilience and tactical adaptability under Carrick’s management, the evolution of their playing style may well be pivotal as the season progresses.
