Premier League
Manchester United legends disagree on Carrick
Gary Neville has been "blown away" by Manchester United's performances under Michael Carrick, but Roy Keane has questioned the caretaker boss's credentials.… Show More
Gary Neville has been "blown away" by Manchester United's performances under Michael Carrick, but Roy Keane has questioned the caretaker boss's credentials.
United made it two wins in as many games under Carrick, during his second stint in temporary charge, by beating Premier League leader Arsenal 3-2 in dramatic fashion at Emirates Stadium.
The visitor fell behind to Lisandro Martinez's own goal, but Bryan Mbeumo's cool finish and Patrick Dorgu's shot put the Red Devils ahead before Mikel Merino bundled in an equaliser, prior to Cunha's heroics.
United claimed its first comeback victory away at Arsenal in the Premier League since February 2005 (a 4-2 victory), and Neville feels the turnaround in the past 10 days has been extraordinary.
"I'm absolutely blown away by what I've seen in eight days, because you can't believe how low and how bad it was a few weeks ago in terms of some of the performances that we've seen," he said on The Gary Neville Podcast.
"There are a number of things that have changed, the intensity, the compactness, the aggression of the defending, their willingness to get behind the ball together and be difficult to beat and dig in when you're in difficult moments of the game.
"[Carrick has] definitely instilled a simplicity to it in the last two weeks, in the last two games, that I like about it. It's my favourite system. We've talked about it a lot, the idea of a talented player playing off a striker, two wide players narrowing in midfield, a back four that's really aggressive. It's been a huge turn.
"It's still not a point to get carried away but certainly a point to suggest now that Manchester United have got an unbelievable opportunity, from where they were before the Manchester City game, where it was a real low point. It's a remarkable turnaround.
"And Michael deserves enormous credit, so do the players for what they've done. They've responded to whatever's being said to them, and we don't know what's being said to them in that training ground, but they are responding like they weren't before.
"Why? We'll always speculate, Ruben Amorim could be watching at home thinking, 'What the hell am I watching from these players right now?' I'm sure he's bemused, as we all are in terms of the flip, but the magic has returned in the last week.
"The magic seems to have returned to the club momentarily, the feeling of how to play with the aggression, with the risk, with the great goals, with the attacking speed, the counter-attack. It feels right.
"It's been thrilling to watch these last two matches, it really has, and it's a remarkable turnaround."
Neville's former team-mate Keane, however, was less enthusiastic.
"Two great performances but anyone can win two games," Keane said on Sky Sports. "If United win every game until the end of the season, I still wouldn't be giving him the job. I still wouldn't be convinced he's the man for the job. Absolutely not.
"They need a bigger and better manager. The size of the club and the challenges they face over the next few years, you want a manager who you feel can get them winning league titles.
"Are we going to sit here and believe Michael Carrick can get United winning league titles? It's not enough for me. I don't believe he is the man to get them winning league titles."
