Michael Carrick has acknowledged that Manchester United's ambitions have grown significantly since he took charge at Old Trafford, with the club now aiming higher after a turbulent recent past. Carrick returned to United in January, immediately making an impact by guiding his side to victory over Manchester City in his first match in charge, a result that played a part in him eventually being handed the permanent managerial role.
That win over their local rivals marked the beginning of a transformation for United, who had finished a disappointing 15th in the Premier League the previous season. Under Carrick, the club rediscovered its competitive edge, climbing to third place last term - just one position behind City - and securing a return to the Champions League in the process.
Speaking ahead of Sunday's derby showdown with City at Old Trafford, Carrick reflected on how far the club has come and how the expectations surrounding it have shifted as a result. "I think going into the Champions League game and talking about the expectation there, I think it's a really good thing that it's shifted in a way, and all of a sudden there's different things asked of us now to maybe what was a few months ago, and we're in the Champions League," he said.
He added that reaching Europe's premier competition again was proof of the progress United have made under his leadership, but stressed that qualification alone would not be enough to satisfy the club's ambitions. "That in itself shows the steps we've made, and we need to be in the latter stages of that, and then the expectations around that," Carrick explained.
Despite United's improved form and their derby win over City in his managerial debut, Carrick was careful not to take anything for granted heading into Sunday's meeting with Enzo Maresca's side. He made clear that past results carry little weight when it comes to facing a team of City's quality once again. "I think there's no way we're assuming we won last year, we'll do the same things and everything will be the same," he said, underlining his focus on treating the upcoming fixture as a fresh challenge rather than a repeat of previous success.
Ahead of the derby, Carrick also provided an update on the fitness of full-back Luke Shaw, who was absent from United's 4-0 Champions League victory over Sabah on Thursday. The defender was left out as a precaution rather than through injury concerns escalating, according to the manager. "We'll have to see. We just kind of looked after him a little bit. He wasn't quite ready for it 100 percent, so we didn't risk it," Carrick said, leaving Shaw's involvement against City in question.
United's comfortable win over Sabah in the group phase of the Champions League continued their strong start to the European campaign, adding to the sense of momentum building at Old Trafford under Carrick's guidance. With the derby against City now on the horizon, attention turns to whether United can replicate their earlier success against their rivals and further cement the progress made since Carrick's return to the club in January.
Based on reporting from Independent (Football).