Manchester United head coach Michael Carrick has revealed what he told his players to spark the sensational comeback vs. Roma.
Extraordinary comeback
United staged a dramatic comeback against Roma at Old Trafford to buy under-fire boss Carrick a stay of execution.
Roma raced into the lead by scoring twice inside 17 minutes through Matias Soule and Donyell Malen. Both goals came about through United’s pitiful defending.
United were handed a lifeline at the hour mark when Bruno Fernandes converted from the penalty spot, Matheus Cunha having won the spot-kick. Fernandes scored on his second attempt after the goalkeeper saved his initial strike, but an encroachment allowed him a second bite of the apple.
United continued pushing and finally restored parity in the 83rd minute when Cunha pounced on Leonardo Balerdi’s mistimed clearance and slotted home the equaliser.
There was a dramatic late twist when Cunha then latched onto a fine pass from Lacey before hammering a powerful shot past the goalkeeper at his near post.
COMEBACK = COMPLETE! ❤️🔥 https://t.co/GmpyQIDPnY
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) November 3, 2026
Booked for his celebration after leaping into the crowd and taking his shirt off, Cunha then saw a second yellow for a late tackle in stoppage time, making for a nervy finish. But Carrick’s men held on for all three points.
Getting in amongst it 😍 https://t.co/41QtyWHrPW
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) November 3, 2026
Speaking to UEFA after the final whistle, Carrick shared his assessment of the game. He also revealed what he told his players at half-time.
Carrick’s remarks
Carrick said, “It was a challenging game. I think we started OK in the game, we knew it was going to be tough – they’ve only had one defeat all season. They’re a very, very good team.”
“So we talked about what we wanted to do in the game, we started OK and then the goal came from nowhere. We caused ourselves a few issues.”
“In some ways understandable with the run we’ve been on, a little bit anxious and a few nerves at times.”
He added, “Then I thought we grew into the game a bit at the end of the first half and I spoke at half-time about being positive. Anything can happen here, I’ve seen it many times over the years. You just need something to go our way and the boys were fantastic second half.”
“They kept going, didn’t get disappointed and got exactly what they deserved in the end.”
Asked whether he sensed the comeback was on after Fernandes’ goal, Carrick answered, “This place does it. No matter what situation you’re in, how tough it can seem, the supporters are desperate to get behind you and we gave them something to go on.”
“We gave them other opportunities to score and it was close, and you’re thinking ‘that’s another chance gone by’ but we kept looking, kept pushing for answers and we found them in the end.”
On the uncertainty surrounding his future, Carrick replied, “I don’t have a crystal ball to know what happens next. We move on to the weekend, we’ve got a really important game here against Aston Villa, which we need to prepare for right.”
The fixture between United and Aston Villa is scheduled to kick off at 4.30pm on Sunday at Old Trafford.
Featured image by Dan Istitene via Getty Images
