Has Michael Carrick Saved His Job at Man Utd With Staggering Comeback Win?

Old Trafford has witnessed its share of extraordinary comebacks over the years, yet few have been as welcome as Tuesday’s 3–2 victory over Roma in the Champions League.

After an astonishing nine matches without victory, this was a soul-soothing triumph for the club’s supporters and, perhaps more crucially, the under-fire Michael Carrick. Amid a run littered with embarrassing defeats and drab draws, this was a moment of pure ecstasy at long last.

Of course, the fact United trailed by two goals in the 18th minute suggests the Matheus Cunha-inspired turnaround has merely papered over the cracks rather than fixed the foundations, but it provides a starting point ahead of the weekend’s awkward visit from Aston Villa.

That will be a final outing for the Red Devils prior to the November international break, which provides the club’s decision-makers with a prime opportunity to properly assess the future and a potential managerial change.

But will a momentous evening in Europe be enough to save Carrick from the chop?

As the halftime whistle blew and boos rang out around Old Trafford, it appeared inevitable that this would be Carrick’s last match. But the manner of United’s recovery against Roma could well prove an ignition point for a beleaguered group.

If there were any accusations that United’s players had stopped fighting for their manager, those were swiftly dismissed during a transformative 45 minutes.

The difference was stark. The hosts had created 0.24 expected goals, five shots and only one effort on target during a pathetic opening half in Manchester, trailing Roma considerably in each of those metrics. But in the second half, the Red Devils mustered 2.46 expected goals, 10 shots and five efforts on target—and, most importantly, scored three times.

Having harnessed the energy of the crowd following a powerful kick up the rear in the dressing room, there was an element of that fabled United inevitability about the way they turned things around.

The result certainly gives Carrick some breathing room, and ensures he will be in charge of the upcoming clash with Villa. Another humiliating loss could have prompted a reactionary change before the international break, but the 45-year-old now has another chance to prove he’s still the strongest candidate for the position.