Manchester United are a transformed team under Michael Carrick, and the results prove it.

When Ruben Amorim was sacked, United were sixth in the Premier League table, 11 points behind Aston Villa in third, and also trailing Liverpool and Chelsea in the race for Champions League football.

Fast forward four months, and the Red Devils are third, in the driving seat to qualify for Europe’s premier club competition, with multiple players looking reborn under the caretaker head coach .

Bruno Fernandes is the perfect example. Having played in a deeper role under Amorim , the club captain is back doing what he does best: terrorising defences while playing in the No.10 role.

And the Portuguese superstar lavished praise on the former United midfielder for the impact he has had in such a short span of time.

Speaking to Wayne Rooney, the 31-year-old explained (via BBC ), “When he came in, he had the positive energy the team needed.

“Not just nice words but when he needed something stronger, or something softer, something to bring the team together. That was not just important for the team but the whole environment.

“We weren’t thinking about what could have been or what we should have done. Very quickly we changed to, ‘it didn’t work out, let’s turn on to the other one and push to achieve what we want this season’.

The Portugal international always knew Michael Carrick had what it takes to be a great head coach during his first spell in charge of the team following Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s sacking.

“He had three games as a manager. The way he prepared for the games and the way he spoke to us made you think he was more than an assistant manager. He was ready for the next step.”

Interestingly, Fernandes also added that he and his teammates did not think they would climb up to third so quickly.

“We have got very good results. This league is so tough and at this moment, we are in the best position we could be. When Michael came in, we never thought at this moment, we would be third.”

The ex-England international ‘s impact cannot be understated. While performances have been inconsistent recently, the fact that United are in such a strong position shows what a great job he has done.

However, the head coach cannot afford to rest on his laurels just yet. United need a maximum of six points to guarantee Champions League football from their remaining five games. Who knows? In the process, Michael Carrick might just cement his place in the dugout for the long term as well.

Feature image Carl Recine via Getty Images

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