Lammens explains how Carrick masterminded United’s unbeaten run | OneFootball

Senne Lammens has shed light on Manchester United caretaker manager Michael Carrick’s first five games in charge at Old Trafford. The Englishman took charge of the Premier League giants in the middle of last month following former head coach Ruben Amorim’s abrupt exit.

Carrick had previously been briefly in charge of the Red Devils following Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s dismissal in 2021. The Englishman left after Ralf Rangnick’s arrival, and went on to manage Middlesbrough for around three seasons before leaving in the summer of 2025.

Last month, United parted ways with Amorim after a chaotic 14-month spell. The English giants wanted someone to steady the ship until the end of the season, with a permanent appointment planned for the summer. Carrick won the race ahead of his former colleague Solskjaer and has been a revelation so far.

The Englishman masterminded four wins in his first four games in charge, before Tuesday’s 1-1 draw against West Ham United marked the end of his 100% record. After the game, Lammens provided insight into Carrick’s blistering start.

Communication has been key

Speaking to The National, Lammens said: “Yeah, the way Michael took over against City, especially when he only had two or three days to prepare us. Just one of his strong suits as well, being clear what he wants, communication. So we knew what we had to do. The plan was clear.”

“So, we executed them in the first two games against City and Arsenal … It’s a bit different because it’s a different kind of game to today, for example. We don’t really have to make the game ourselves. It’s more of being able to be compact and play from the counter and creating chances.”

“That’s one of our strong suits. So we know against those teams we can do good. But then against Fulham and last week, I’m forgetting a little bit, Tottenham, at home … then we had to play more of our game. I think we did that.”

The importance of results

The Belgian custodian went on to add that while the team’s performances have not always been eye-catching, their ability to pick up results has been a welcome change from earlier this season. He said: “Not always the prettiest, but the result was always there, which is the most important thing, which we haven’t really done all season, [getting] those results or those streaks going, like four wins in a row.”

“So, yeah, we felt good getting those wins in. Today was a little bit disappointing because we wanted to continue that. Now as well, being two weeks without a game, you want to go into that period with a good feeling.”

“It’s a little bit less bad because we scored at the end, but still not the best feeling. But I think the first five games with him as a coach we can be happy with and looking forward to the rest.”

Michael Carrick's Caretaker Spell at Manchester United so far

The Red Devils remain fourth in the Premier League table after 26 games and have a good chance of qualifying for next season’s Champions League. Lammens, meanwhile, has become indispensable for the English giants since arriving last summer, and has started the last 20 Premier League games, registering four clean sheets.

Final Thoughts

United will hope they can bounce back from the setback against West Ham United when they travel to Goodison Park in just over 10 days. A top-four finish could be imperative to the Red Devils’ plans for the summer and it could also have a significant impact on Carrick’s future.

Featured image James Fearn via Getty Images

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