Michael Carrick was left drooling after Benjamin Sesko’s winning goal against Fulham at Old Trafford this afternoon. The interim United boss was speaking at the post-match press conference, having seen his side grasp victory in injury time against an impressive Fulham side. The first question was: “After the wins against City, Arsenal, does this win perhaps feel the most significant, especially with the team’s struggles this season against teams like them?” Carrick replied: “I’m not sure it’s more significant, but I think I understand why you’re asking it. That’s probably not that extreme, but I knew today was going to be really a tough game. You’re getting questions all week and people expecting what are you going to do about breaking down a low block and teams that come in. Fulham was never going to do that. They’ve showed that this is a really good team. We knew today was going to be a big challenge. I knew it wasn’t going to be easy, it wasn’t going to go smoothly.” “Even at 2-0, they were 5-1 down against City and ended up coming back to 5-4. We knew that going into the game. I think the character to show that once we’ve had that big setback, it was a huge setback in the 90th minute whenever it was, to do that on the back of what we did last week off the setback. It’s probably the most pleasing thing to keep the belief, keep the confidence. Listen, the rest of the game, we can play better at times. We can do things a lot better in certain moments, but I can’t fault the players. “The spirit has taken us through today. It’s a good feeling when it does.” On Benjamin Sesko The next question was about Ben Sesko, who came off the bench to clinch the victory with a delicious swivel-and-shoot. How much confidence does he have after “a moment’s pleasure”. “A huge moment,” Carrick replied. “I’m so, so pleased. Everyone in the changing room, players, staff, delighted for him, absolutely delighted for him. And the reception he got when he came back in the changing room, told us everything. He’s even confident, to be honest. We’ve worked with him a lot in different ways over the last couple of weeks. He’s bright in training. He’s looked dangerous, he’s done extra. The coaches have done a lot of bits on the side and Travis, particularly, he’s done a lot of work one on one with him.” “Ben’s a big talent, he’s got so many positive things. And today’s a huge goal because that feeling as a striker here to score a winner in front of the Stretford End, like that, it’s what you dream of, really. After missing a chance, which is what it is for strikers, to miss chances, to go again and put that away. Absolutely so, so pleased for him. He really deserved it.” United DNA The next reporter asked: “There’s been a lot of talk externally about the Manchester United DNA and what that is and whether you can reconnect it. Some people laugh at that and say it isn’t anything. But when Manchester United score at Old Trafford in the last minute of injury time, that feels like Manchester United. That is Manchester United. Is that how you see it?” “It’s the best feeling, I have to say,” Carrick purred. “Some of the best moments here that I’ve been lucky to be part of the game. You can dissect the performance and there’s pluses and there’s not. When you get a moment of the elation and the excitement like that, for me, there’s no better place in front of the Stretford End like that. It ends up meaning more. I think people leave here with more than just a United win today. It puts layers on top of that in the connection and the feeling, the emotion. It’s why we all love it so much and especially the supporters.” “So it goes a long way. There’s been plenty. The excitement, that’s part of this club. It’s not always the easiest way, but we’d like to win games a little bit more comfortably than that. But certainly when they come along, it’s pretty special.” Carrick was asked how the emotions differ when being a manager to a player. “Slightly, I think it’s a bit different,” he admitted. “I think when you’re in the thick of it as a player, you’re right in the moment and you don’t always see the bigger picture. You’re a little bit differently in terms of the attachment of the game.” “I was pretty calm all the way through, I was disappointed, obviously, with the second goal, but I was aware there was still eight minutes to go at that point when they scored. If anything, I was thinking there’s a long time to go and we still had the players on the pitch at that point. That thing could really make the difference for us. I was still really positive that I thought we’d find a moment.” “Listen, it’s hard to hold your emotions together when the goal goes in like that. I think we all celebrated when that went in. But yeah, I did feel we’d have a moment. We tend to in them type of games, you always have a moment. It’s just whether you can take it. Ben certainly did that from Bruno. It was great.” The following question was “you talked about being calm there. You do seem quite calm throughout the whole game. Is that important to you to project that to the players? Do you think they can feed off that as well?” The boss responded: “Listen, there’s times to be calm, there’s times to be emotional, and there’s times to be angry, there’s times to be upset. There’s times that is part of the game and I think it can’t be underestimated that you’ve got to bring that emotion at times. But certainly that composure and that calmness for the players to be able to think clearly, it’s getting the balance. I think we’ve got the balance pretty well over the last three games of playing with that bit of fire and bit of hunger, but knowing making good decisions as well. I’m not sure we all made good decisions on that goal in terms of how we celebrated, But that’s what you strive for. That’s why we all love the game for moments like that. So when they do come, you’re going to make the most of them.” Reporter Jamie Jackson then asked “everything that you’re touching is turning to goal, can it continue to the end of the season?” “We’ve all been in this game a long time and you never take anything for granted at all,” Carrick replied. “We can perform better than what we did today, I think. Well, that’s credit to Fulham being such a good team. I’m sitting here thinking it’s a good sign we feel we can get better. That doesn’t mean that all of a sudden we get better and we keep winning games. I think understanding what got us to this point is important and the hard work and the work for each other that the lads are certainly putting in. I think that’s important. But listen, I’m not getting carried away. It’s great when you’re in a position and you’re winning games for sure, but it doesn’t mean you necessarily just win the next one. So we’ll have another good week and prepare for that.” Asked about the team’s ceiling, he said: “The ceiling’s high in the team. I think we showed that in this short space of time in different ways. Big goals and some great play. I think consistency and offer a game even in terms of with the ball, without the ball. In moments that we’d like to look a little bit better, that’s normal. But that’s up to us to try and put that in place. But the boys are desperate to learn, desperate to keep improving. You always feel you got a chance in the game when you’ve got players on the pitch who can produce moments. So the more of them, the better for me.” Kobbie Mainoo’s performance Another reporter asked about Kobbie Mainoo, what he thought of his performance and how important he is to the team. “Yeah, I think Kobbie’s performance was very, very good today in so many ways,” he answered. “Again, you could see the way Fulham played and overleaded the middle at times in the movements. There was a lot of work for Kobbie and Case to do, in particular in the middle of the pitch. So that was without the ball. I thought he’s done terrific in that. And then with the ball, just I’ve spoke about it before, about the ability to just cope. He’s not really fazed by it. He plays his game and he understands what’s needed.” “It’s the moments of quality. It’s what we come to expect from him in many ways and what I came to expect, but you forget how young he is still. He’s still got loads to come, but seeing him today and playing with that confidence and a belief is a real joy to watch, to be honest, for any young player.” Maguire for England? The final question was about Harry Maguire’s growth and whether Carrick thinks the centre-back could still make the England squad for the World Cup. “Yeah, I haven’t given the World Cup so much thought, to be honest;” he laughed. “We’ve got some really good centre-backs at the club, and obviously a couple of young ones on the bench today, which have got big futures, hopefully at this club. We just felt that the time we came in, I feel that experience was important. The other two boys, as I say, will have a lot of games and a lot of performances in their career here because they’ve got really bright futures.” “But Harry’s came in after playing not a lot of football, really, and came into it and done ever so well. He is what he is, he’s such a big presence. Being there, seeing they’ve done it as well. Similar, I think that helps within the group when we’ve got some young players who are still learning. So I think he’s had a big influence with that. And just that composure, as I say, to understand the moments and not be fazed by it. Being a big presence there with him and Licha, particularly at the back, give us the foundation to build on. So this and see what the future holds in terms of the World Cup. But when he’s like that and the way he’s played, he’s certainly one of the best for me.” Featured image Carl Recine via Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Red Billy Red Billy is the managing editor of The Peoples Person, author of three books and two magazines and totally obsessed with football’s transfer market. Billy first saw United live in 1971, watching George Best, Bobby Charlton and Denis Law, before becoming a League Match ticket book holder from 1975/76 and a writer since 1995. Billy still insists Matteo Darmian and Alex Telles could have made it at United given half a chance.
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