Manchester United’s Michael Carrick has pushed back on suggestions that his selection of Matheus Cunha was to blame for the team’s lack of attacking width during a 2-1 defeat at Newcastle — a result that ended his unbeaten start since taking interim charge of the club.
A Costly Late Setback
United had looked to be in control of the contest after Newcastle full-back Jacob Ramsey was shown a red card in first-half stoppage time, handing Carrick’s side a numerical advantage for the entire second half. The visitors had already fought back from going behind to an Anthony Gordon penalty to level the scores before the break, but couldn’t find a way to make their extra man count. Newcastle substitute William Osula ultimately settled the contest with a strike deep into stoppage time, condemning United to their first defeat under Carrick since he replaced Ruben Amorim in December.
The loss also marked the second time this season United had been beaten by a side reduced to ten men, following an earlier defeat to Everton at Old Trafford.
Carrick Rejects Tactical Criticism
Asked whether Cunha’s positioning had contributed to a perceived lack of width down United’s left flank, Carrick was quick to dismiss the suggestion, pointing out that the Brazilian had in fact operated on the touchline for large parts of the game and that the team did have width as a result. He declined to go into further detail breaking down the performance, acknowledging there had been some positive moments mixed in with plenty United still need to improve on.
He struck a measured tone in his broader assessment of the result, noting that everyone at the club — players and staff alike — had been hoping for a better outcome on the night, while stressing that performances and results throughout the season up to that point had generally been positive.
No Comment on Ramsey Red Card or Shaw Incident
Carrick also declined to offer a strong opinion when asked about Ramsey’s dismissal, or a separate flashpoint involving Newcastle’s Dan Burn appearing to catch Luke Shaw with an elbow during the game, saying he hadn’t seen either incident back and wasn’t in a position to comment further.
Moving On
The defeat brought an end to a strong run of form for Carrick since stepping into the role, but his comments suggest he isn’t looking to make wholesale changes to his approach off the back of one result, with the focus instead on building toward improvement in the matches ahead.