Hardly anyone would have picked Carrick to be Man Utd boss - but now?

Michael Carrick

Michael Carrick is far too experienced to get coaxed into giving away whether he wants to become Manchester United's next permanent manager.

He is happier revealing his kids were in the away section at Emirates Stadium, joining the throng in a bout of unbridled glee when Matheus Cunha scored United's brilliant third and then again when the whistle went to confirm a 3-2 victory, their first win at Arsenal in eight years.

We cannot know whether Carrick's two children were among those still singing in Carrick's honour 15 minutes after the final whistle. But given the collective noise being made by the 3,000-strong visiting support, they probably were.

Minority United owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe looked pleased enough in the directors' box. There have not been many moments to smile about in the two years he has been running the football side at Old Trafford. This certainly was one.

United have marked Carrick's first two matches in charge with successive wins. It was something Ruben Amorim managed once in his 14-month tenure - as part of a run of three successes earlier this season that earned him the October manager of the month award.

United have amassed six points under Carrick. It took Amorim five games to get to seven - and he lost the next three matches.

United have taken twice as many points from their past two games - against the teams first and second in the table - as they collected from the three before that, against Leeds, Wolves and Burnley, three of the current bottom five.

Six weeks ago, hardly anyone would have chosen Carrick as United's next manager in preference to Crystal Palace's Oliver Glasner.

The voices, and there were plenty, who cautioned against United repeating what happened in 2018-19 are having their argument undermined in front of their eyes.

Seven seasons ago, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer came in as interim, won eight games in a row, then six out of the following nine, ending with an astounding Champions League success against Paris St-Germain, when United overturned a two-goal first-leg deficit away from home, and was given the job.

Solskjaer would lead United to a Europa League final in 2021, but the early promise was not maintained.

Results have an irritating way of cutting across reasoned opinion - not that Carrick shows any sign of getting swept along.

When he talks about "riding" the current situation, he means his players and the emotion felt by beating Manchester City and Arsenal.

He did allow himself a bounce on the touchline as Cunha's 87th-minute shot headed for the far corner of David Raya's goal.

But who can blame him? Three minutes earlier, they had conceded an equaliser in a game they seemed to have in the bag.

"You have to ride it, and use the emotion, the energy and confidence," he said afterwards. "But you also have to be humble and realise how we have achieved these two results.

"We can't look too far ahead. We won't anyway but looking too far ahead can bite you."