“Lot of things changed”: United hero lauds new boss for turning things around at the club

Manchester United put in a flawless performance as they overpowered Manchester City 2-0 in the Manchester derby at Old Trafford on Saturday. Michael Carrick’s reign got off to the perfect start, and it could have been even more comprehensive if not for United hitting the post twice and three goals ruled out for marginal offsides. The caretaker head coach set the team up in an ideal fashion, playing players in their preferred positions instead of trying too many unnecessary things like it was under Ruben Amorim. And that paid dividends, as goals from Bryan Mbeumo and Patrick Dorgu ensured all three points for the hosts. Bryan Mbeumo shines on his return The Cameroonian only returned from AFCON a few days ago, and was brought back into the starting lineup immediately despite Benjamin Sesko’s recent good form. Things have changed at the club, with a new head coach and coaching staff in position. That did not affect the ex-Brentford ace one bit as he registered his eighth goal since joining in the summer. He lauded the squad for getting to grips with Carrick’s demands in only three days and then going on to produce arguably their best performance of the season in such a high-pressure game. “When I came back a lot of things changed,” he told Sky Sports after the game. “I think we have a very good group. We always stick together. We have a fantastic unit, so it is unbelievable. Quick turnaround under Carrick “It is not easy because we only had three days. Because we are all together, we all want to win the same way with the same aim. “I think [it was] the team effort, like everyone was doing their jobs and everyone was defending. Everyone was attacking. We’ve been a bit unlucky maybe with the offsides [as three goals were disallowed] and stuff, but yeah, I think it’s a very good performance.” And on the goal, he lavished praise on Bruno Fernandes for the perfect through ball and explained how their counter-attacking gameplan worked a treat. “Obviously, when we come out from the high free-kick for them, there is a counter opportunity,” he explained to MUTV. Brilliant counter-attacking play “I know then they’re not structured and [from there] I saw a big space and I just sprinted into it. Bruno [Fernandes] gave me the ball perfectly.” The forward also praised the fans for the atmosphere, something that helped the 20-time English league champions immensely. “I think it’s one of them. Scoring in front of this stand is unbelievable. Derby is even more and like Licha [Martinez] said, we used the energy of the fans today. This place was unbelievable today.” Feature 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 Ayantan Chowdhury After failing to become a professional footballer, Ayantan switched to the next best thing: writing about the greatest football club in the world. He has extensive sports journalism experience, having worked for over 10 years in the Indian sports media industry, writing for the biggest newspapers and websites. Currently an editor at The Peoples Person. You can follow him on X: @ayantanc_25