“Going to be a big player”: Carrick lavishes lethal star with praise after Everton heroics

Manchester United pulled off a late win over Everton to consolidate their place in the top four in the Premier League. Gritty win The display was hardly one to get the hairs standing on end, but they passed a tough examination on a wet and windy Monday night at the Hill Dickinson Stadium. Their 1-0 win was full of grit and determination and marked their fifth win in six matches under interim manager Michael Carrick. Speaking to Sky Sports after the match, Carrick gave his thoughts on the game. He admitted it was not his side’s best game, but emphasised that the victory and three points were crucial. Carrick explained, “there are games where you have to show a different side to your team. We had four wins in a row with some really good performances, and I kind of expected there would be a period where we’d have to dig in a bit more and grind out results.” He continued, “we did that to a point at West Ham, and we had to do it again today. The spirit, the sacrifice, the willingness to work for each other — especially the way we defended our box towards the end — everyone played their part. To come away with a clean sheet is fantastic, and it’s a great win for us.” Tough place to come to Carrick was asked to comment on whether the fact that United had not played in 13 days had made them a little rusty, but he focused more on how tough a place Everton is to visit. He asserted, “it didn’t come easy for us tonight. It’s always tough coming here — I’ve been coming to Everton for a long time and it’s never an easy game. I can’t remember a match here where everything’s just clicked.” Carrick admitted it was a slog and a struggle, but stated that sometimes these are the best wins for a coach. Quality in attack United spent big in the summer to bring in Brazilian Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo, and Benjamin Sesko, and all contributed to the goal. Running through Sesko’s winner, Carrick added, “yeah, it was a great move. We know we’re capable of that. We’ve got players who can produce moments like that. If we defend well as a team and put the work in, we always feel we’ve got a chance.” He added, “Matheus defended well and started the transition, Bryan picked out a great pass, and Ben finished it confidently and strongly. I loved the finish. I’m delighted for him — he’s made an impact again and keeps doing it.” Sesko form Despite scoring three crucial goals in his last four games, Sesko has been left on the bench by Carrick. The English manager made sure to show support for the Slovenian and hinted that he would soon get his chance from the start. He explained, “Ben’s in a really good place at the moment. We’ve had some good conversations. Patience is important for him — helping him grow and develop as a player here. He understands that.” Carrick finished by explaining, “I’m sure he’s going to be a big player for us for a long time. We’ve got to manage that properly. We’ve got some very good forward players, and he’s made a big difference when he’s come on. Selection decisions are something we’ll consider as we move forward, but the balance in our forward play has been good.” Benjamin Sesko 25/26 season stats Games playedGoalsAssists Mins 24811315 Source: transfermarkt.com Featured image Justin Setterfield 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 Alex Browne Alex is a huge Manchester United fan, inspired by greats of his homeland such as George Best, Harry Gregg and Norman Whiteside. Alex has a Master’s degree from Queen’s University Belfast and La Universitat Rovira i Virgili in Tarragona, Spain. Having lived in the country since 2011, Alex is The Peoples Person’s Spanish football expert and is fluent in both Spanish and Catalan. He dreams of witnessing a United captain triumphantly hoisting the Premier League and Champions League trophy in the air once more.