Manchester United head coach Michael Carrick has urged his players to build on their 3-2 comeback victory over AS Roma, warning that they must follow it up with consistent performances.
United ended a nine-game winless run across all competitions on Tuesday, November 3, after recovering from a two-goal deficit to win at Old Trafford.
Carrick praised his players for staying positive despite their recent struggles and their difficult start against Roma.
“I knew we were doing some good things in the game against a really good team. Playing against a team that goes man-for-man as much as they do, you probably get more failure than success. It’s about still being positive and the boys responded so well in the second half,” he said.
However, the United boss stressed that the victory would mean little unless the team built on it.
“It’s one game, so it depends on what happens next. We’ve got to capitalise on that,” he added.
Carrick also praised the character shown by his players during a difficult period, saying the experience had given him a better understanding of the squad.
“I think we’ve shown a lot of character as a group to weather what we’ve had to. You find out a lot about each other. The players will find out things about me and I certainly do about them, their character, what it means to them and what they’re prepared to put in,” he said.
He also welcomed the response from the Old Trafford crowd, saying giving supporters memorable performances was central to the club.
“To see the supporters going home happy is what we live for, to give them performances and nights like this, so they can come back again energised, recharged and looking forward to the game at the weekend,” Carrick added.
