Manchester United returned to winning ways on Tuesday thanks to a dramatic 3-2 comeback victory over Roma at Old Trafford.
Matias Soule and Donyell Malen had given the visitors a deserved first-half lead, but United captain Bruno Fernandes converted a penalty and Matheus Cunha struck twice before being sent off to complete a chaotic Champions League clash.
And Red Devils boss Michael Carrick was quick to praise his players’ resilience after the game – the club’s first win since beating Azerbaijani minnows Sabah at the start of September.
Carrick lauds ‘important night’
Speaking during the post-match press conference, Carrick said on Sky Sports: “Proud of a lot of people, proud of the players, and they deserve a lot of credit for pulling through in a tough situation.
“And for the supporters to be there – they were desperate for us to give them something they could get their teeth into.
“I think it is really important for the players to know what this place [Old Trafford] can do.
“I am not getting too carried away with things, but it is an important night.”
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Defiant Fernandes reiterates belief
In an interview with Amazon Prime, Fernandes stated: “Hopefully, this win gives the start of something good for us.
“It has been tough. There’s been a lot of speculation in the media, a lot of lies around many things that have happened in this club.
“The manager took a decision of putting myself on the bench [against Bournemouth] because I wasn’t performing at that level. Everyone felt that that was a punishment for the words that I had. If it was, it was right.
“The manager is the one that makes the decisions. I have to accept them, I have to go forward with that.
“It doesn’t change the belief I have in the manager, in the staff and every player that is in this club. It doesn’t change my aim to win every game that I have ahead of me.”
Fernandes added: “Fans want to win games. They’ve been used to seeing this club at the top, winning trophies, winning games every week. For them, it’s been so frustrating to see the club in this situation.
“I just want to make everyone aware that we’re all frustrated with the situation at the moment and we all want to get out of this.”
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Nicole Powell