Michael Carrick has always been the epitome of cool as a player and now head coach at Manchester United, but even he felt the need to break into a run as the teams headed down the Old Trafford tunnel at half-time yesterday (sun).
United were a goal down to Crystal Palace and in unchartered territory under Carrick who has hardly put a foot wrong since taking charge. Changes were needed and the man in the long overcoat was in a hurry to make them.
‘It’s the first time we’ve been in that situation going into half-time,’ said Carrick. ‘To overcome going a goal down so early, that was a new challenge for us.
‘We talked about being in that position and how to react showing the personality and belief. It was just some little tweaks in shape, a couple of ideas. Nothing major. I’m not taking much credit for that.
‘I told the players it’s something I’ve been waiting for, this moment. “Go on, what are we going to do about it?” The boys responded ever so well.’
This was yet another good day for Carrick. He was up against Oliver Glasner, who has featured among the bookies’ favourites to become United boss next season for some time, and once again he came up with the right answers.
Where would Manchester United be without Bruno Fernandes? He was pivotal again on Sunday
It helps when you have an inspirational captain like Bruno Fernandes and an in-form striker like Benjamin Sesko. It also helps when the big decisions go your way, and this game was turned on its head eight minutes after half-time.
Fernandes threaded a pass through for Matheus Cunha who got away from Maxence Lacroix and set off towards goal. The Palace goal-scorer instinctively grabbed Cunha by his right shoulder, and he stayed on his feet just long enough to ensure he went down in the box.
Chris Kavanagh pointed to the spot, but the referee taking charge of his first game since being heavily criticised and dropped after his performance in Aston Villa’s FA Cup tie against Newcastle a fortnight ago, needed help from Stockley Park on this one.
Was it definitely a foul? Did the contact start outside the box? Was Lacroix the last man? VAR official Tony Harrington called Kavanagh to the pitch-side monitor, and the decision went United’s way. A penalty and a sending-off.
‘The Old Trafford bonus,’ smiled Glasner ruefully. ‘It is decisive when you are 1-0 up and then concede a penalty and have one player less.
‘Of course, it’s tough. The foul was outside the box and should be given where it starts, not where it ends. Matheus Cunha was very clever.’
Carrick acknowledged it was a ‘big’ decision, but Fernandes was in no doubt. ‘The referee told me straight away that it was a penalty but he was trying to determine if it was a red card,’ he said. ‘We know that when it is a push or pull and no intention to go for the ball, it is a red card.’
Fernandes got United back into the game from penalty spot after being 1-0 down at half-time
Former United goalkeeper Dean Henderson has a good record on penalties and had denied Wolves Tolu Arokodare a week earlier, but Fernandes sent his old teammate the wrong way.
Eight minutes later, he crossed for Sesko to score an emphatic winner, and United were heading for their sixth win in a seven-game unbeaten run under Carrick and third place in the table.
Fernandes became only the third United player in the Premier League era to reach a century in both goals and assists after Ryan Giggs and Wayne Rooney. If United seize their opportunity to qualify for the Champions League, no player will have done so much to guide them there as him.
Where would they be without Fernandes? The Portugal star has admitted he was ‘hurt’ that the club were prepared to sell him to Al-Hilal last summer. To have even considered doing so now seems like an act of lunacy.
The 31-year-old’s future will be under scrutiny again after the World Cup, and United need to find a way of persuading him to stay at a time when they are trying to drive down the wage bill.
Fernandes had started the fightback even before Carrick’s half-time team talk after United fell behind in the fifth minute to a Palace side who started more brightly despite playing in the Europa Conference against Zrinjski Mostar three days earlier.
It came from a corner by Brennan Johnson and owed much to the naivety of Leny Yoro. The young defender lost track of Lacroix and his French compatriot guided a header inside the far post.
United lost Luke Shaw, and later Harry Maguire, to illness and took fully half an hour to come to their senses. Adam Wharton blocked Maguire’s header, and Jaydee Canvot got in the way of Sesko’s first-time shot. Fernandes crossed to Sesko but on this occasion his header was straight at Henderson.
Just before the interval, Fernandes forced the keeper into a brilliant tip-over with a 25-yard free kick, and then picked out Casemiro who should have done better than head wide from close range.
After despatching his seventh goal of the season from the spot in the 57th minute, Fernandes turned creator eight minutes later.
Benjamin Sesko continued his fine form scoring the winner from Fernandes’ cross
The United skipper played a pass through for Cunha, but Canvot cleared towards the touchline. It landed back with Fernandes who sized up a cross and curled it perfectly onto the head of Sesko who rose above Canvot to beat Henderson.
It was the Slovenian’s seventh goal in the last eight games, rewarding Carrick’s decision to start him for the first time since he took over as head coach following his winner at Everton on Monday.
‘It wasn’t a gamble,’ said the United boss. ‘Benjamin is in a good place and he has had a major impact in recent weeks. It was a fantastic goal. He’s got huge potential and I’m really excited where he can get to.’
Carrick said he could tweak his line-up again at Newcastle on Wednesday, and United will trust him to get it right. They head for Tyneside with Champions League qualification within their grasp.