Michael Carrick remains cautiously optimistic following his remarkable start as manager, which continued with a victory over Tottenham, whose captain Cristian Romero expressed regret for receiving a costly red card during the match.
After a challenging year that began with Ruben Amorim’s sudden departure and mixed results, the appointment of Carrick, a former midfielder and captain of the Red Devils, has rejuvenated the team’s efforts for the remainder of the season.
Carrick’s string of victories now includes wins against Manchester City, Arsenal, and Fulham, culminating in a 2-0 win over his former club Spurs on Saturday. Goals from Bryan Mbeumo and Bruno Fernandes secured a deserved victory against the 10-man visitors at Old Trafford.
This marks the first time in two years that United has achieved four consecutive Premier League wins, placing them fourth with 44 points—two more than their tally from the previous season.
“It’s hard to pinpoint what’s changed,” Carrick stated. “I’m really pleased with how everyone is engaged and invested in the process, which is crucial.”
“In different moments, you can see the game unfold differently, and that can change how you look, for better or worse. However, being in a good emotional state is beneficial, and that was evident today.”
“We had to manage and control the game while demonstrating patience and quality. While each of our four games has had its own uniqueness, we’re not letting it get to our heads. I’m not here to say, ‘we’ve got it all figured out.’ There’s still plenty of work ahead, and I’m fully aware of that.”
Carrick also praised United’s captain Fernandes, especially in contrast to Tottenham’s captain, whose reckless actions hurt his team’s chances.
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Frank defended Romero, emphasizing that he “clearly tried to go for the ball” when he fouled Casemiro, leading to the red card in the 29th minute.
“He felt regret over the incident,” the Spurs manager noted. “He apologized to his teammates in the locker room. He’s a vital player, and when he’s at his best, he motivates the team.”
This incident marked Romero’s sixth red card since he joined Tottenham in August 2021, making him the most frequently suspended player in that time among Premier League competitors, a statistic that surprised Frank. He reiterated his commitment to keeping Romero as captain, despite questioning the depth of the squad on social media.
Romero will begin a four-match suspension while Spurs prepare to face Newcastle on Tuesday. Additionally, Destiny Udogie could miss the match as injury-hit Spurs look for their first Premier League win in 2026.
“We haven’t had enough wins in the Premier League,” Frank said after his team went through seven consecutive league matches without a victory. “We’ve just come off four decent games where we showed a lot of resilience. But before that, we weren’t converting our performances into results. There’s still a lot of potential and resilience to build on, but we need to step it up to turn those performances into wins.”