When Ruben Amorim was sacked in January with more than half of the Premier League season gone, Manchester United were sixth in the table and looking down rather than up.
Now, after beating Brentford 2-1, his replacement, Michael Carrick, has all but guided them to Champions League qualification with four games still to play.
United took 31 points from their opening 20 matches under their former head coach, but this latest victory at Old Trafford — against a Brentford team themselves hoping to qualify for Europe — means they have now picked up 30 points from the subsequent 14 matches.
As has so often been the case under Carrick, Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes were influential figures, the Brazilian scoring the opener and the Portuguese laying on the second for Benjamin Sesko.
Mathias Jensen scored late for Brentford, but United held on to strengthen their position in the Champions League places.
Mark Critchley analyses the main talking points.
Is it inevitable Fernandes will now break the assists record?
You could practically see the cog turn in Fernandes’ head, and, at this point, who would blame him?
United’s captain is now only one away from equalling Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne’s Premier League record for the most assists (20) in a single season. He has time on his side to surpass it, too.
He had the opportunity to shoot when running through on the break at the end of the first half. The angle to pass to either Sesko or Bryan Mbeumo was less inviting than the sight of goal.
But the prospect of that assist record was more appealing still, and as Fernandes shaped his body to shoot, Brentford centre-backs Nathan Collins and Sepp van den Berg converged to block the space, opening the route to Sesko back up.
It was one of four chances the Portuguese created in the first half. No other player in the league is operating at his level and, wherever the player of the season awards go, another assist or two in United’s final four games would be a fitting reward for an outstanding campaign.
Is Casemiro showing how difficult he will be to replace?
Everybody has been focusing so intently on Fernandes’ pursuit of 20 assists, it has been easy to overlook Casemiro’s hunt for a double-digit haul of his own.
United’s first goal was the Brazilian veteran’s ninth of the campaign and even briefly drew him level with Sesko and Mbeumo as United’s joint-top league scorer.
Casemiro heads in Manchester United’s opening goal (Alex Livesey/Getty Images)
Eight of those nine have been headers, equalling Dwight Yorke’s 1999-2000 record for the most headed goals by a United player in a single Premier League season.
The majority have been assisted by Fernandes, but just in case opponents are getting wise to that combination, United switched things up this time.
Fernandes’ corner from the right was swung deep to the far post for Harry Maguire, who headed the ball back from where it came, teeing up Casemiro to nod over the helpless Caoimhin Kelleher.
In Maguire and Sesko, United have towering box threats to try to maintain this season’s excellent record from set pieces next term. This was their 20th goal from dead-ball situations, second only to Arsenal.
But Casemiro’s particular timing and instincts will be missed, as will his knack for making the difference when it counts. His goals have often been game-breakers — this was the fifth of the nine to put United ahead in a game — and that will not be easily replaced.
What do Man United need to secure a Champions League place?
United may have only been a point adrift of fifth-placed Brentford when Carrick prepared to take charge of January’s Manchester derby, but Champions League qualification felt much further away than that. Now, it is within touching distance. United require two points from their final four games to be certain of a return to European football’s elite next season. They might not even need those, depending on results elsewhere.
Michael Carrick does not yet know if he will be in charge of Manchester United next season (Alex Livesey/Getty Images)
This was not a perfect performance. United lost momentum after Casemiro’s breakthrough and were reliant on Senne Lammens to protect their slender lead.
Even though Sesko added a second before half-time, the visitors had been dangerous enough to suggest there was still a game to win.
Carrick responded by making the earliest unforced substitution of his 13 games in charge — replacing Amad Diallo with Noussair Mazraoui at half-time and, surprisingly, switching to a familiar system. Amorim’s 3-4-3 no less.
That initially stemmed Brentford’s momentum, but Keith Andrews’ side gradually found ways around United’s new shape, and Jensen’s long-range strike made for a scoreline more reflective of the balance of play.
But under Carrick, more often than not, United have reliably found ways to get three points from imperfect, blemished performances. Six of his nine wins have come by one goal. Once again, Carrick’s United did enough.
In his typically understated way, he will insist the job is not done yet, but now it could be as soon as the final whistle blows on Liverpool’s visit this Sunday, and with three games to spare.
What’s next for Manchester United?
Sunday, May 3: Liverpool (Home), Premier League, 3:30pm UK, 10:30am ET
