Michael Carrick says ‘it’s for Ole’, but Man United carry on regardless

Whatever the future holds for Michael Carrick, the former Man United midfielder will always have this

Jadon Sancho scores Manchester United's second goal of the game during the Uefa Champions League, Group F win at Villarreal last night. Picture: Isabel Infantes/PA Wire.

Michael Carrick made the instant, desired impact with the bold decisions that booked Manchester United’s place in the Champions League knockout stages but, yet again in Europe, it was Cristiano Ronaldo who was his side’s salvation.

The Portuguese legend struck the crucial opening goal on 78 minutes, while Jadon Sancho’s 89th-minute second was not only the punctuation point on a highly satisfactory evening, but also his first goal for United — as good a symbol as any of a new regime about to sweep in at Old Trafford and the end of the old.