Michael Carrick Reveals the Winning Formula That Powered Man Utd's Derby Triumph
Michael Carrick indicated that Manchester United's triumph against Manchester City at Old Trafford was built upon a straightforward concept: utilizing the squad's assets and executing fundamentals effectively.
Despite the defensive setbacks affecting Pep Guardiola's team, hardly anyone anticipated United would achieve a favorable outcome from the Manchester derby, much less dominate their cross-town adversaries.
The Red Devils claimed a 2–0 victory, though considering three strikes were ruled offside, the frame was hit on two occasions and City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma made several crucial stops, an even larger winning margin would have been warranted.
Carrick's squad surrendered most of the ball control to their opponents, yet executed a highly direct style, packed with pace and energy that recalled the celebrated 'United philosophy' rarely witnessed during the 13 seasons following Sir Alex Ferguson's departure.
"It's not my place to criticize [Man City] openly. We aimed to utilize our assets," Carrick informed Sky Sports following the match conclusion.
The offensive width delivered by wingers Amad Diallo and Patrick Dorgu expanded the field and represented a notable enhancement from Ruben Amorim's tenure, when employing wing-backs and inverted forwards failed to achieve similar effectiveness.
Dorgu netted the second strike, demonstrating his capability to operate further forward despite establishing his reputation as a defender. Bryan Mbeumo had previously given United the lead in his debut since Cameroon's Africa Cup of Nations exit.
"The two wide players, Amad and Dorgu, were excellent in both directions," Carrick stated. "Mbeumo and Bruno [Fernandes], [Matheus] Cunha entering and creating impact, [Mason] Mount almost scoring. Everything matched our expectations."
The manager continued: "I don't wish to become overly excited about all the heritage discussion. We aimed to perform well and incorporate elements we believed would assist that goal.
"We definitely wanted strong defensive organization as a unit. We sensed we possessed a counter-attacking threat. When we controlled possession, I felt we appeared menacing. I couldn't request anything more. The players embraced everything tactically and handled it mentally."
Carrick's Message to Man Utd Players
Carrick's Message to Man Utd Players
Lisandro Martínez, who contained Erling Haaland alongside Harry Maguire in their initial partnership for 11 months, emphasized the straightforward nature of Carrick's core instruction to the team.
"I believe one crucial element that Michael Carrick mentioned was 'harness the crowd's energy' and, today, I feel we accomplished it," the Argentine center-back shared with Sky Sports.
The advantage is evident: "When we unite like this, defeat at home becomes impossible."
Though United's primary shortcoming last campaign was insufficient goal production, that concern had been resolved in 2025–26 while defensive problems had emerged as the main issue.
Stalemates with Burnley, Bournemouth, Tottenham Hotspur and Nottingham Forest have been expensive regarding dropped points. Against City, goalkeeper Senne Lammens faced minimal pressure and Martínez commended the collective defensive effort.
"When facing these [Man City] talents, the entire team defends," he explained. "Not merely one or two individuals. Today, our defensive work was exceptional, we maintained compactness throughout.
"You gain confidence in physical battles. Today, you sensed different energy observing the players' expressions. Today, the team prevailed and that's what matters most."