Permanent or not, Carrick’s biggest gift to United will be remembered for decades to come – opinion

Manchester United dug deep to overcome individual errors and clinch a thrilling 3-2 win over fierce rivals Liverpool at Old Trafford on Sunday. The three points meant the Red Devils completed a league double over their Merseyside foes for the first time in over a decade. And more importantly, Michael Carrick’s men have guaranteed their place in next season’s Champions League, a feat very few would have predicted when Ruben Amorim was sacked early this year. Languishing in sixth place and trailing Aston Villa, who were third back then, by 11 points, fans would have been pleased with Europa League qualification at that stage. Michael Carrick’s impact But under the caretaker head coach, the 20-time English league champions have picked up more points than any team in the English top flight, which highlights the club’s incredible resurgence. Results have made it tough for INEOS to ignore his credentials as the co-owners hunt for a permanent boss, but his man management has been equally as impressive. Written off by Amorim and on the verge of being sold, Kobbie Mainoo has risen like a phoenix under the former England midfielder. An ever-present member of the starting XI, the Carrington graduate scored the winner against Arne Slot’s team on Sunday and ran the show from deep. Kobbie Mainoo ran the show From crisp passing to immaculate tackling, the Englishman showed all the tricks in his repertoire as the home side dominated the first half. Goals from Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko saw the hosts head into half-time two goals to the good and they could have scored a couple more but for some lax finishing. United almost capitaluated in the second half as substitute Amad and Senne Lammens gifted the away side two easy goals. But Kobbie Mainoo stepped up to save his team’s blushes and secure a famous win at the Theatre of Dreams. A new contract signed, a winning goal delivered, the Stockport-born star is here to stay! Feature image Shaun Botterill 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