The sheer emotion and delirium of Manchester United’s late 3-2 Champions League comeback win against Roma was absolutely wild. Old Trafford went from a seething, frustrated stadium to pure joy and celebration in minutes! It’d been nine games, almost eight weeks, since they tasted victory, which is an eternity for a club of this size. Michael Carrick, the man in charge, definitely calmed the mood, though he was quick to pump the brakes, saying, “It’s one win, so we’re not getting too carried away with things, but it was an important win.” And yeah, it was a huge result. It bought Carrick some much-needed time. But here’s the kicker: with United’s overall situation, who knows how much time that actually is? And, as folks were quick to point out, Man Utd has definitely been here before.
Deja Vu All Over Again: The Mourinho Echo
Think back to Saturday, October 6, 2018. Headlines were screaming that Jose Mourinho was set to be sacked, regardless of the Newcastle match result. The Mirror got it wrong that day, but sources later admitted the club was ready to pull the trigger on Mourinho after their worst start to a season in 29 years. A loss to Newcastle would have sealed his fate. Sound familiar? Much like the Roma game, the visitors, Newcastle, shot out to a two-goal lead, and the atmosphere in the stadium started turning ugly, with most of the venom aimed at the director’s box, not Mourinho himself. Mourinho, who had actually promoted Carrick to assistant coach, subbed Eric Bailly for Juan Mata after just 19 minutes. And who sparked the comeback? Mata, with a 70th-minute goal! Alexis Sanchez completed the 3-2 victory in the final minute. After that game, Mourinho claimed the pressure on him was a “manhunt.” But let’s be real, the relationship between manager and club had been souring since the previous summer. His demand to sell Anthony Martial was rejected, and record signing Paul Pogba was proving to be a major headache. While that Newcastle win sparked a brief improvement, a run of just two wins in eight games, capped off by a brutal 3-1 loss at Liverpool, led to Mourinho’s dismissal 10 weeks later.
Solskjaer’s Similar Escape and the Inevitable End
Fast forward to October 20, 2021. Former United defender Rio Ferdinand was shutting down calls for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to be sacked before their Champions League clash with Atalanta, chalking it up to “current fan culture.” Guess who was also part of Solskjaer’s coaching group back then? That’s right, Carrick. United had even gone top of the Premier League a month earlier after beating Newcastle. But two wins in seven games hinted that trouble was brewing. And guess what? Just like with Roma this week, coach Gian Piero Gasperini saw his Atalanta team establish a two-goal lead by half-time, only to watch them collapse. Cristiano Ronaldo was the hero, scoring the match-winner nine minutes from time for another 3-2 victory. Even if United had lost that night, it’s tough to think Solskjaer’s job would have been immediately threatened. What came next, though, was a totally different story. Liverpool rolled into Old Trafford and put up a four-goal lead by half-time, eventually winning 5-0. It was their biggest ever away win against their old rivals. A ton of United fans thought Solskjaer should have been gone that very night. It took three more weeks, and a humbling 4-1 defeat at Watford, for his dismissal to actually happen.
So, here we are. Carrick gets a thrilling 3-2 comeback win. It bought him time. But this isn’t just a win, is it? It’s a page ripped right out of the playbooks that led to two other managers’ eventual exits. The question isn’t just about the next game, it’s about whether this win is a temporary reprieve or if history is already starting to repeat itself for Michael Carrick.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by BBC Sport.
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