Michael Carrick’s words to Matheus Cunha say a lot after Man Utd’s win, clearing up their chat at full-time.
Michael Carrick sent a clear message to Matheus Cunha after the Brazilian scored twice but was sent off in Manchester United’s thrilling 3-2 Champions League win over Roma at Old Trafford.
United found themselves 2-0 down in the first half, which was tough for them, but they made an amazing comeback in the second half. Cunha scored two goals at the 83rd and 86th minutes. However, he got a yellow card for taking off his shirt while celebrating, and then another one shortly after for a foul, which led to his red card. At full-time, Cunha had a heated moment with Carrick when he tried to go back onto the pitch—something UEFA’s rules later clarified. Carrick’s words about Cunha after the match really say a lot.
In his press conference, Carrick praised Cunha’s effort and explained the tactical change they made at halftime that helped him score. “Matheus… yeah, Matheus can do things like that,” Carrick said. “We swapped him with Bryan [Mbeumo] at halftime to get him into the middle and change our shape a little. That put him in great positions.”
Carrick was more direct when talking about the red card and what he expects from Cunha in the future. “I’m disappointed with how it ended with the red card. But it shows how much he cares and what he’s willing to give. When he plays like that, that’s exactly why we want him here.”
Carrick also had kind words for Shea Lacey, who came on late in the game and helped set up Cunha’s winning goal. “The boys really respect Shea. He’s eager to do well and was even defending right-back near the end, which I joked about after the game. It shows how much he’s ready to contribute.”
After the red card, Carrick tried to stop Cunha from going back onto the pitch because of UEFA’s rules. Cunha looked frustrated as he headed towards the tunnel. But according to Fabrizio Romano, there was no problem between them. Romano said on his YouTube channel, “Michael Carrick just wanted Matheus Cunha to avoid any more trouble. He already got a red card, so he didn’t want the situation to get worse. There were no issues between them at all.”