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Manchester United interim manager Michael Carrick has said the club should not “over-celebrate” reaching the Champions League, despite a 2-1 win over Brentford putting them on the brink of a return to Europe’s top competition.
United now need just two more points from their remaining four games to be mathematically certain of a place in next season’s Champions League, having last featured in the competition in the 2023–24 campaign.
However, Carrick insists he will not get carried away if and when they secure qualification.
“We’ve given ourselves a great chance; we’ve put ourselves in a strong position,” he said. “It’s a tough league and it’s hard to get wins — you can see that across the division. The lads deserve credit for the number of wins we’ve had.
“The Champions League is one thing, but it’s not something we should be over-celebrating either.
“We want to finish as high as possible in the league. We want to keep challenging near the top and keep pushing for more points so that our season doesn’t effectively end once that target is achieved.”
United’s goals against Brentford were scored by Casemiro and Benjamin Šeško.
Supporters at Old Trafford chanted “one more year” at Casemiro after his ninth goal of the season, but Carrick insists there will be no U-turn on the midfielder’s decision to leave at the end of the campaign.
“It’s pretty clear,” Carrick added. “From both sides, it’s been made clear. The situation and that clarity have probably helped everyone. It means a lot to him, and credit to him — despite everything, he’s given absolutely everything and delivered some big moments for us.”
