Team with a 'Carrickter'

Manchester United beat Fulham 3-2 at home yesterday, recording their third straight Premier League victory. At the same time, Michael Carrick equalled Ruben Amorim's longest winning run in only three games, while the Portuguese led the Red Devils in 47 matches. Moreover, United are currently on a seven-game unbeaten streak - their longest since February 2022 when Ralf Rangnick was in the dugout.

But criticizing Amorim and the club's management, which made a number of mistakes in recent years, is not the point. It's something considered long lost, which Carrick reinvented and reimplemented: a character, a never-give-up spirit, and a fight until the final second.

The former Middlesbrough boss had nurtured all these features when he was a United player. Back then, it wasn't a choice. It was an obligation. Otherwise, one couldn't become a member of Sir Alex Ferguson's crew.

Carrick activated United's beast mode! Sesko's 94th-minute heroics launch Red Devils past Fulham

Yesterday, the Red Devils went 2-0 up, but unlike the clash against Man City when they relatively easily finished the job, against Fulham, they reminded everyone of their old selves, from the pre-Carrick era - vulnerable, confused, and bewildered.

That Man United would have - do not doubt it for a second - lost their head after Kevin's 91st-minute leveller and barely survive the 13-minute added time. Perhaps, they would have even allowed the Cottagers a complete comeback, just the way they were on the ropes against Bournemouth a month and a half ago.

But Carrick's Red Devils have character. They are strong-willed, persistent, defiant, and resilient. Yesterday, they kept their spirits high, even after bottling a 2-0 lead in the dying minutes. That's why they bounced back almost instantly after the late equalizer and eventually won the game thanks to Benjamin Sesko's winner.

"It's great character to concede a goal and bounce back and be positive. It's a great trait to call upon, when you need it," Carrick said after the game via the club's official website.

This positivity could be the key. If Bruno Fernandes and Co. manage to keep it, no matter the circumstances, they'll remain on the right path to bring United back to their former glory.