When Michael Carrick arrived in the second half of the season, in my mind the most I hoped for was any European competition. Any! I was looking at the Man United squad and I couldn't see where success was coming from. The mentality of the squad was at an all-time low. The manager was making enemies in the dressing room with reckless abandon, and was consistently playing sub-optimal teams every other week just to make a point. it was bad.
Then came Michael Carrick. A punishing welcome against two of the season's best teams, Manchester City and Arsenal. I will admit it here ... I didn't have the heart to watch both games. I couldn't. I couldn't master the courage to watch one of my favorite players, during his time as a Man United player, get bulldozed by Pep.
Later, when I watched the game back, I was impressed by how dominant we were against Man City. The Arsenal game was then the confirmation I needed to hope that we could achieve something more this season.
Now, here we find ourselves with just 2 games to go and it is more or less confirmed that, with their far superior goal difference and Villa needing to rotate heavily in the last game of the season, Man United will finish comfortably in 3rd.
The last time we had such a season was with Ole Gunnar Solskjær. A manager who, according to me, was let down by a pathetic sporting hierarchy.
So bad was their regime that 5 years later, only 4 of their signings out of 14 are still at the club. One of those four signings is a goal keeper we got on a free transfer, Tom Heaton.
So, can it be any different for Michael Carrick?
I would wager, yes! I can confidently say that the sporting hierarchy has improved for the better. The signings are much better. The club is also selling players for good money.
With United now about to play Champions League football, the money the club is set to make should allow them to be more ambitious in the transfer window. They can equally attract better talent this coming summer window.
This will allow Carrick to craft a team that is more competitive on the pitch. A team that can impose itself rather than have to play conservatively just to shore up the defense.
Michael Carrick has already proven he is a good manager. Can he now prove that he can become a great manager when all the weight of expectation rests on his shoulders?