MANCHESTER, England — Matheus Cunha propelled Manchester United to one of the club’s greatest European fightbacks by scoring twice before being sent off in a dramatic 3-2 win against AS Roma on Tuesday in the Champions League.
While the win may end up being important for United to advance, it immediately boosted Michael Carrick’s hopes of keeping his job as manager at Old Trafford.
With United trailing 2-0 after 17 minutes against Roma, Carrick’s grip on his job looked to have been completely loosened with the home side heading to a fifth defeat in six games.
But a second-half comeback, triggered by Bruno Fernandes scoring a re-taken penalty, was completed by Cunha scoring twice in the final 10 minutes to seal United’s first win in any competition since Sept. 10.
Cunha celebrated his second by jumping into the supporters and being yellow carded by the referee. It proved to be a costly booking with the Brazil forward then receiving a second yellow in stoppage time for a foul on Leonardo Balerdi.
But despite being down to 10 players, United held on to claim a huge win for both Carrick and their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League knockout stages.
Enough to save Michael Carrick’s job as Manchester United coach?
Michael Carrick desperately needed a win to banish fears over losing his job as Manchester United manager, but with his side 2-0 down inside 20 minutes, it seemed that he was heading for one final humiliating defeat before an inevitable ouster from Old Trafford.
But a remarkable second-half turnaround– sparked by the loss of midfielder Carlos Baleba to a hamstring injury and Youri Tielemans coming on as a replacement — not only sealed a dramatic win but also one of United’s great comebacks in European competition.
For Carrick, the victory was absolutely crucial, and the manner of the fightback will also play heavily in the 45-year-old’s favour. But will the win — United’s first since September — be enough to keep him in a job beyond Sunday’s home clash with Aston Villa?
This victory will certainly ensure that he goes into the next game as Man United’s manager, and with confidence high among his players. The United hierarchy have been hoping against hope that Carrick would weather the storm of a nine-game winless run and come through the other side and this win could be the start of better times.
But it would be naïve of United to regard this as proof that Carrick must stay in charge. The team’s next two games are tough ones in the Premier League: at home to Villa and away to Liverpool and Carrick cannot afford to lose either of them.
If he does lose either, the intense pressure will return and he may yet be out of a job by December. But Carrick earned a break with this win, and the chance to continue to fight for his job. — Ogden
Matheus Cunha the true hero for Man United
Carrick and his Man United team have needed a spark from somewhere — and they got it from Matheus Cunha. The Brazilian won the penalty which got United back into the game and then scored twice to cap a famous European comeback.
He was that pumped up by the end that he dived into a silly challenge in stoppage time, picked up a second yellow card and was sent off.
Shea Lacey also deserves a special mention. The 19-year-old winger was thrown on in the 75th minute and played a key role in the winning goal — sliding an inch-perfect pass into Cunha to score from a tight angle.
Fans have been calling for Lacey to start games and he did himself no harm. Cunha will probably be the first name on the team sheet against Aston Villa on Sunday and Lacey may not be far behind him.
Much of the talk after Tuesday’s match will be about whether Carrick did enough to save himself, but Cunha was undoubtedly the hero. — Rob Dawson
Bruno Fernandes still has what it takes to lead United
Bruno Fernandes has had a difficult season at United, and he was dropped for the first time in his Old Trafford career last month for criticizing Carrick’s tactics in the 4-1 loss against Como.
But the Portugal international proved he still has what it takes to make a difference by being the catalyst to spark United to their comeback victory.
After seeing a penalty saved by Roma goalkeeper Devis Vásquez on 57 minutes, the United captain boldly stepped up to take it again after the initial spot-kick was cancelled out by referee Jesus Gil Manzano for encroachment.
Fernandes then smashed the re-take past Vasquez to make it 2-1 and give United hope. It appeared to be a cathartic moment, not just for the player but the whole team.
From that point on, Fernandes led the United charge and he helped make it 2-2 with the cross from which Matheus Cunha scored the equaliser in the 83rd minute.
This was Fernandes back to his best: scoring, creating and pushing United to victory. Now, he just needs to keep on doing it. — Ogden
Win comes with potentially costly injuries for United
Carrick got a bit of good news this week when Patrick Dorgu returned to training. But the sight of Carlos Baleba limping off shortly after half-time here will be a major worry.
The Cameroon midfielder, signed from Brighton in the summer, was having a good game when he surged into the Roma box just 37 seconds into the second half. He pulled up clutching his hamstring just as he was about to shoot and he looked to be in tears when medical staff came onto the pitch.
Baleba’s United debut was delayed because of injury and it will be a nightmare scenario for Carrick if he’s sidelined again. Already without Marcus Rashford and Luke Shaw, United need to keep players available if they’re going to dig themselves out of trouble.
It was a big win against Roma, but it will have come at a cost if Baleba is ruled out for a while. — Dawson
Fan protests continue at Old Trafford
Songs and chants were aimed at the Glazers, Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Jason Wilcox during and after United’s 3-0 home defeat to Bournemouth. On Tuesday, the protests continued, this time with fans in the Stretford End releasing hundreds of green and gold balloons — United’s original colours — before kickoff. They also threw tennis balls on the pitch.
As much as Carrick is under pressure, much of the anger at the current situation is being directed at Manchester United’s owners and the board. The state of the team’s recent performances is one thing, but the bigger problems are off the pitch.
The Glazer ownership has drained the club of its own money meaning the budget is tight when it comes to strengthening the squad. Whether form improves in the short-term or not, the supporters will continue to protest and the game against Roma marked an escalation in their battle with the bosses. — Dawson
