Michael Carrick challenged his Manchester United players to show their character at half-time, sparking a stirring comeback to beat Crystal Palace 2-1 at Old Trafford. The United head coach ran down the tunnel at the break after Palace took a 1-0 lead through Maxence Lacroix's early goal, delivering tactical tweaks and a motivational message.
Carrick admitted he had been waiting to see how his side would respond to adversity, as it was the first time they had trailed at half-time under his tenure. 'I said to them, here's something I've been waiting for, this moment, to see, go on then, what we're going to do about it and be positive,' Carrick said. 'The boys responded ever so well, so it was a big thing for us.'
Bruno Fernandes was at the heart of the fightback, scoring a penalty after Lacroix was sent off for bringing down Matheus Cunha, then setting up in-form striker Benjamin Sesko for the winner. The victory was United's sixth in seven games under Carrick, with the team now having recovered seven points from losing positions.
Carrick praised the squad's spirit, noting that the comeback was the most pleasing aspect of the win. 'It's the biggest thing for us to take from the game,' he said. 'Football is tough at times and this league is tough, so you're never always going to have it your own way, but to then come back like we did second half and turn the game in our favour is the biggest thing for me.'
