Michael Carrick says he set a challenge to Man Utd players vs Palace, he had been 'waiting for it'

Michael Carrick finally received the chance to set his players a challenge he had been ‘waiting for’ all this time at half-time against Crystal Palace.

Man Utd completed a second-half turnaround against Crystal Palace, winning 2-1 courtesy of goals from Bruno Fernandes and Benjamin Sesko.

The win didn’t come easily, as Palace were in the ascendancy to start the game and caught United off guard with an early goal.

It prompted Michael Carrick to set his players a challenge that had been brewing in his mind ever since he came to Old Trafford.

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Michael Carrick’s challenge to Man Utd

Since arriving at the club, everything Carrick has touched has turned to gold, and that carries with it a danger of complacency creeping in.

To be fair to United, they didn’t let that happen in games against Fulham, Spurs, or Everton, which are hardly marquee.

However, Palace were arguably the “peak” in those terms, as they played on Thursday, are in a poor run of form, and United had the chance to break into the top three with a win.

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Therefore, when United started poorly, Man Utd fans had a sense of deja vu of the team lowering their level to match the opposition again.

Miffed by the team’s efforts, Carrick said he set his players a challenge at half-time, as they had the chance to shut down one narrative.

He said: “It was more about how you react when things aren’t going in your favour. I said to them that it’s something that I’ve been waiting for. See what we’re going to do when things aren’t in our moment. We needed to be positive, and the boys responded ever so well.”

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No team is ever going to be irresistible over the course of a season, which is why mastering the functional over flashy is a non-negotiable.

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The team hasn’t hit the peak of the game against Man City ever since, and yet, they have won 19 out of the possible 21 points.

They’ve done so by showing character, grit, defensive solidity, and making themselves count in clutch moments.

All those traits are the hallmarks of a great team, and Carrick deserves immense credit for giving this team their belief back.

The season is long and United will need to improve their performance levels further, but for now, they are doing the most important thing, which is winning football matches.

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