Michael Carrick expresses that his initial defeat as Manchester United manager is ‘painful.’
Manchester United’s unbeaten streak under new manager Michael Carrick came to an end at seven matches after a 2-1 loss to Newcastle United, who had midfielder Jacob Ramsey dismissed during first-half stoppage time and netted a goal in the 90th minute through substitute William Osula.
Carrick departed St James’ Park reflecting on what he considered the poorest performance of his tenure, with United suffering their first defeat after the former midfielder had guided the team to six victories in an unbeaten start to his managerial role.
“Disappointed obviously,” he stated. “Bitterly disappointed. It stings tonight. We certainly arrived here in good form, aiming to secure something from the match, if not to win, and we’re disheartened by how it unfolded.
“We can perform significantly better. We’ve positioned ourselves well, with the performances and results we’ve achieved, so tonight is a setback.”
There was some positive news for Carrick and United on Wednesday, as results from other matches — including Aston Villa’s defeat to Chelsea — kept the team in third place, tied with Unai Emery’s squad on 51 points but ahead on goal difference.
Carrick took charge following Ruben Amorim’s departure in mid-January, after Darren Fletcher managed two games as interim coach following the Portuguese’s dismissal on January 5.
The team’s performance since his appointment — which started with victories over Manchester City and Arsenal — has allowed United to ascend the Premier League standings and secure a position in the Champions League spots.
However, Carrick has emphasized that his squad is focused on one match at a time as they approach the remaining fixtures of the season.
Before the defeat to Newcastle on Wednesday, Carrick even suggested that a challenge for leaders Arsenal, who are currently 16 points ahead of United, was still a possibility.
“I think we just need to keep winning games and see where that takes us. Above us now, there are two exceptional teams. There are some really strong teams in our vicinity,” Carrick remarked on Tuesday. “We’ve had a solid run, and we are certainly not getting ahead of ourselves.
“Of course, I am being realistic about it. We need to win many matches for that to occur.”
Next on the agenda for Carrick and United is a home fixture against Bournemouth on Sunday.
Information from PA and The Associated Press was utilized in this report.
