Neville Left Speechless as Carrick's Manchester United Spark Immediate Revival

Gary Neville has admitted to being left completely taken aback by the transformation Michael Carrick has orchestrated at Manchester United since taking the interim managerial reins.

Carrick stepped in following Ruben Amorim's departure, tasked with steadying the ship until the campaign's conclusion. Between Amorim's exit and Carrick's arrival, youth coach Darren Fletcher managed the side through a Premier League stalemate at Burnley and an FA Cup exit to Brighton at Old Trafford.

The new interim boss has made an explosive start, claiming victories over both Manchester City and Arsenal – the division's top two – in his opening two matches. Sunday's triumph at the Emirates proved particularly eye-catching, with Arsenal suffering their first home league loss of the season courtesy of strikes from Bryan Mbeumo, Patrick Dorgu and Matheus Cunha.

Speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, Neville laid bare his incredulity at the sudden shift in fortunes. "I'm absolutely startled at the turnaround," he said. "We saw a change of manager with Ruben Amorim to go to Darren Fletcher and there was not much difference in terms of energy and strength. Then all of a sudden, from Michael Carrick in those two or three days. I can't believe it. I genuinely can't believe what I'm seeing."

The former United defender went on to stress that he remains unconvinced about handing Carrick the job permanently, regardless of results. Yet his bemusement at the current run is palpable: "Michael Carrick was just about to go into the City game. None of us could have ever imagined that what we've seen, we were going to see, surely. No one could have ever imagined that. Nobody would have thought he'd win his first two games."

There is already mounting pressure to make Carrick's appointment permanent should the Red Devils maintain their current trajectory, though Neville has publicly resisted such calls in the past.

Roy Keane, Neville's former teammate, pinpointed a tangible shift in atmosphere within the squad since Carrick's takeover. "There's definitely an energy, a new energy, about the team," Keane remarked. "We weren't seeing the energy at weekends. The last week or two, you look and go, there's definitely an energy about them. It's got nice energy as well."

The pundit suggested the timing of the managerial change proved crucial, with players potentially receptive to fresh input after months of frustration. "The timing was perfect," Keane continued. "The players were probably ready for a new voice. It's not necessarily on the new manager. They're probably just glad to see the last manager go."

Keane also highlighted the significance of Steve Holland's appointment as Carrick's assistant, with the former England coach bringing considerable pedigree to the backroom staff. "You want to have a Holland – he's worked within England," Keane said, though he cautioned against getting carried away with early optimism.

The veteran analyst stopped short of predicting sustained success, emphasizing the need for sustained excellence over multiple seasons. "This group of players still haven't got the trust from me anyway to go, yeah, I expect them to win loads of games over the next one, two, three, four, five seasons competing. So get that balance right," he concluded.