Praised Fernandes After Man Utd Beat Tottenham, Michael Carrick Even Focused on West Ham

JAKARTA - Manchester United interim manager Michael Carrick received praise from captain Bruno Fernandes after a crucial 2-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur in the English Premier League competition. Only Carrick wants the players to stay focused and not be distracted by the next match against West Ham United.

The euphoria of four consecutive victories did not last long. Carrick indeed wants to bring joy to supporters who have long waited for Man Utd's revival. Once he became the interim manager, the former Man Utd defender proved his promise by bringing the Red Devils to victory.

They successfully beat Manchester City 2-0 in the Manchester Derby at Old Trafford. Even Man Utd should have won 5-0 if the three goals were not annulled. When meeting a heavy opponent who is also the leader of the Arsenal standings, Carrick's team is completely underestimated.

Even the Gunners, who are currently at the peak of their performance, are predicted to win easily because they are playing at home. Moreover, Arsenal won 1-0 in the first Premier League match at home to Man Utd.

But Carrick turned all predictions upside down. By giving players freedom and setting up a strategy on when to bring down key players at the right time, Man Utd won 3-2.

The decisive goal was scored by Matheus Cunha who came on as a substitute. With his condition still fit, Cunha did dismantle Arsenal's defense before unleashing a hard shot from outside the penalty area that defeated goalkeeper David Raya.

When hosting Fulham, Casemiro et al almost lost momentum after conceding twice so that the opponent could equalize the score to 2-2. But Benjamin Sesko who was also a substitute player and his accurate shot successfully broke into the Cottagers' goal and Man Utd won 3-2.

Finally, Carrick was more than happy when his team buried his former club, Tottenham, with a score of 2-0 in a match at Old Trafford, Saturday, February 7, 2026 WIB.

"I'm certainly happy. We came to the stadium and felt the atmosphere from the fans who were happy. I'm happy because I make the fans go home full of happiness. I know this means a lot to them. We showed a good performance and got a satisfactory result," said Carrick as quoted by the club's website.

Carrick hopes fans can head to work on Monday with big smiles and a sense of joy that their beloved team has secured a place in the top four and a chance to return to the Champions League next season.

But this does not apply to players. Carrick did not let the players get lost in the euphoria of victory because the competition was still long. They only rested for a moment and then underwent recovery before facing the next London team, West Ham.

Even though they have been eliminated in the Carabao Cup and FA Cup and are absent in the Champions League and Europa League, Man Utd still plays matches with a busy schedule.

They visited The Hammers' headquarters at London Stadium, Tuesday night local time or Wednesday, February 11, 2026 early morning WIB.

"We have to focus on the next game. We will face the next big game on Tuesday night against West Ham. So, we rest for a while and recover. I hope the players are back in shape for this match," he said.

In this match, Man Utd has taken the top position because they face an easy opponent. Yes, West Ham is still struggling at the bottom of the table and is threatened to be relegated. However, Carrick, who is also an alumni of the West Ham academy along with former Man Utd defender Rio Ferdinand and Frank Lampard, former Chelsea midfielder, is not slack.

Man Utd who are increasingly confident can experience a decline again if they lose points. So, they hope to win the fifth victory and help supporters fulfill their vow to cut their hair if Man Utd wins five consecutive victories.

Carrick's success in winning six out of seven matches during his time at Man Utd, including three matches in 2021, made Fernandes, one of the senior players, praise. Previously, defender Lisandro Martinez had given his appreciation because Carrick only had three days to prepare the team, but Man Utd could beat Man City.

Not only that, Casemiro who was handled by Carrick even showed an impressive performance did not hesitate to support the manager. Their attitude shows acceptance of Carrick who was previously doubted to be able to bring Man Utd back up. In fact, they still support Ruben Amorim who was fired by the club.

"In my opinion, Michael's idea is more appropriate to be implemented. He gives responsibility to the players. However, he also gives us freedom while on the field, including when we have to make decisions in the middle of the game," said Fernandes.

Fernandes assessed that what Carrick did was actually making the players more confident and free in their creativity which made them stay calm. When the opposing team can score a goal, the players are no longer lost focus which makes them fail to win the match.

It is proven when Arsenal and Fulham can catch up, Man Utd can always turn things around. Including Martinez scoring a suicide goal and Arsenal taking the lead first. However, Man Utd seems to show the mental maturity of a champion to catch up with the goal.

"He always says very positive things. I'm sure Michael will be a great manager. And he's already shown it like the last game results," said Fernandes.

"We hope to help him more than anything. We also want to show that we are good players. That's why we are at Manchester United. In addition, the coaching staff is very good," he said, who assessed that Carrick really understands how heavy the pressure at Man Utd. He has proven it as a player by giving five Premier League trophies and once the Champions League and Europa League trophies.

"I think everyone knows how the pressure of playing at this club is. If you don't understand it, then you can start to understand it quickly. This is a big club and everyone knows how high the expectations are," said Fernandes again.

"And this has never changed. Michael has won many trophies here. So he knows how much it [the championship trophy] means to the fans and the club," he said.