Manchester United has handed Arsenal and Arteta their first home defeat of the season. Their first defeat while scoring first in 24 matches. And conceding more than two goals in 2 years.
I swore not to get carried away again, but here we are once more.
Yet another interim manager has brought some life to the club. Life that has been slowly ebbing away as manager after manager has been sacked at the club. Rebuild after rebuild. Promises broken and investment wasted.
It is impossible as a fan to not look at the two wins against Man City and Arsenal as consequential this season.
When Man United beat City in a conclusive manner, it was easy to chalk that up to new manager bounce and a weak City defense. But going to the Emirates and handing Arsenal their first home defeat of the season is a different story.
The team looks rejuvenated. There is a desire and confidence to their play unlike which we have never seen before since the Solskjaer days. Players are finding each other on the pitch with clinical precision. They seem to understand each other so much better under Michael Carrick.
This reminds me of the crisis at Real Madrid that lead to the resignation of Xabi Alonso. The players felt caged in system/robotic football. The players wanted the freedom of the park. To express themselves. That is something Carlo Ancelotti and Zinedine Zidane understood very well. Let the players play.
I think that is the same problem we have had at United. We have had a bunch of system managers who insisted on either high possession, ultra-defense, or wing-play like Amorim.
Isn't it interesting that the only manager who was able to achieve back to back top 4 finishes was the man who was accused of managing on vibes? Something to think about.
That said, Fulham will present a whole new challenge. It is the type of game that Manchester United fans will expect the team to dominate. Will Carrick manage to draw the same level of engagement from his players?
We will see...