Michael Carrick was called away from a post-match interview to meet Sir Jim Ratcliffe after Manchester United's dramatic 3-2 win over Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium. The Red Devils boss was preparing to speak with broadcaster Jan Age Fjortoft when a representative informed him that the club's part-owner wanted to see him in the tunnel.
Matheus Cunha struck a stunning late winner to secure United's second consecutive victory under Carrick, with the win leaving them fourth in the Premier League table. The Gunners had taken the lead through a Lisandro Martinez own goal, but Bryan Mbeumo equalised before Patrick Dorgu put United ahead. Mikel Merino looked to have salvaged a point for Arsenal before Cunha's 87th-minute winner.
Speaking later in an interview with Viaplay, Carrick was asked about his conversation with Ratcliffe. 'No, not much as you would expect, I think,' he replied. 'There’s a lot of happy bodies around the camp today and he’s delighted as well. So it was nice to see him.' When pressed by Peter Schmeichel on whether he had asked for a permanent role, Carrick laughed off the suggestion.
Roy Keane, however, was dismissive of the idea that Carrick should be considered for the job on a permanent basis. Speaking on Sky Sports, Keane said: 'The job? No, you're being silly now. He's had two great performances, but anybody can win two games. It's what he does at the end of the season. Even if they do get into fourth, I still wouldn't be convinced he's the man for the job.'
Carrick reflected on the win, saying: 'We understood the start of the game was going to be like that. I think we understood how the game was going to go and the flow of it. We were having a decent spell and seemed to be coming into the game when they scored, which was disappointing. Again, we showed the character to come back.'
