Publications
Partners
Cape Town - Michael Carrick says it was short-sighted to expect Manchester United to be reborn under Jose Mourinho overnight, but is finally starting to see the club moving in the right direction.
The Red Devils have won just five of their 13 Premier League matches this season. but have qualified for the knock-out phase of the Europa League and are in the semi-finals of the English Football League Cup.
They are unbeaten in their last four league matches, having defeated West Ham United in the EFL Cup 4-1 last time out after being held to a 1-1 league draw by the Hammers.
Ahead of an away trip to Everton this weekend, Carrick said: "It was never going to happen overnight, I don't think we were ever going to suddenly move on so quickly - he [Alex Ferguson] had been here so long.
"But there are certain signs that we are getting there, I can say that. I know we are well away in the league but there are signs that we can feel something is coming. But only time will tell that."
He added: "All the games have been pretty similar. Even when we haven't had the results, we feel we should have won all the games that we have drawn, which is hard to take.
"At the same time, it is hard to get too down because the performances have not just deserved to win the games but to win them quite well.
"There have been occasions in the cups where we have played well and the goals have gone in. It hasn't quite happened in the league for a number of reasons but if we keep playing like that we will be okay.
"It is not something where you just flick a switch and everything is all right, you have to build as a team. But there are a lot of positives from individual and team performances and, for the rest of the season, I think we will be all right."
There have been increasing calls for Carrick to feature more regularly under Mourinho with United winning 7 and drawing once in the 8 games that the midfielder has started.
