Manchester United defender Harry Maguire praised coach Michael Carrick for turning around the club’s fortunes after a 2-1 Premier League victory over Brentford, which puts the club close to a return to the Champions League after finishing 15th last season.
United sacked previous coach Ruben Amorim in January after a turbulent 14 months at the helm in which the players struggled to get to grips with his tactics, and Maguire credited his successor Carrick with restoring the team’s confidence and getting it back to winning ways.
“We had two tough games when Michael first came in, and I think everyone probably looked at it thinking ‘oh no’, with Arsenal and Man City, and we managed to get the six points,” Maguire told Sky Sports after setting up Casemiro for the first goal against Brentford.
«Everyone believes in it and we have come together. We have the confidence. We know we can score goals anywhere.»
Third-placed United looked comfortable as they cruised to a win that took them to 61 points in the standings, 11 ahead of sixth-placed Brighton & Hove Albion with four games to play and five teams qualifying for next season’s Champions League.
United have won nine of 13 games under Carrick, paving the way for a return to Europe’s biggest club competition.
«The results speak for themselves. Since the manager came in and the formation changed, we just seem to be getting results. I think the previous games when Ruben was here were fifty-fifty but we always ended up with a defeat,» Maguire explained.
«Now it seems like it’s the other way around, where we’re a lot better in both boxes. We’re defending our box a lot better, and we’re managing to be clinical in the other box.»
Published on April 28, 2026
