Updated

Updated · The New York Times · Nov 4

Manchester United Rally From 2-0 Down to Beat Roma 3-2 as Cunha Scores Twice, Sees Red

Updated

Updated · The New York Times · Nov 4

Manchester United Rally From 2-0 Down to Beat Roma 3-2 as Cunha Scores Twice, Sees Red

Q: What exactly did Michael Carrick say at half-time to transform a dreadful United side into relentless Champions League winners?

Carrick’s half-time message was not a mystery rant but a simple, repeated instruction: stay positive, stop feeling sorry for yourselves, and keep searching for the next moment that could change the game. In his own words, Carrick said he wanted the players “to be more positive if anything, and not get too disappointed and frustrated.” He said “the easiest thing” in that situation was to feel sorry for themselves, but that “that’s not going to help anybody.” Instead, he told them: “We’ve got to keep looking for the next moment, the next solution.” He also framed it in terms of Old Trafford’s history without overdoing the nostalgia. Carrick said he reminded them that “this place does magical things” and that one incident could “flip the whole place in a different direction.” His message was essentially that if United could produce one spark, the stadium and momentum would follow. After the match, he added that the team had to focus on what they still wanted to do in the game, rather than the noise around them. He acknowledged nerves and anxiety during the bad run, but said the response came from staying in the contest and believing “anything can happen here.” There is no reliable evidence for the dramatic, viral versions of the speech circulating online. The verified account, from Carrick himself, is that he urged calm, positivity and persistence — and Fernandes’ retaken penalty became the “one moment” he had talked about.

3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Nov 4

Matheus Cunha struck in the final 10 minutes twice to complete Manchester United’s 3-2 Champions League comeback over Roma, then was sent off five minutes later for a second booking.
2-0 down after 17 minutes, United were revived by Bruno Fernandes’ retaken penalty after Bryan Cristante encroached and played the rebound from the initial save.
Carlos Baleba also limped off early in the second half with a right hamstring issue, a fresh concern after his recent return from an ankle injury.
Old Trafford had turned mutinous before the rally — green-and-gold protests, tennis balls on the pitch and half-time boos — before the comeback flipped the mood.
The win eased pressure on Michael Carrick, lifted United’s knockout-stage hopes and gave the under-fire coach a badly needed result before Aston Villa visit on Sunday.