A half-time speech, a retaken penalty - and a win to save Carrick's job?
Manchester United secured a dramatic comeback victory against Roma, potentially saving head coach Michael Carrick's job. The match turned on a VAR-assisted penalty retake, followed by a late surge of goals despite a subsequent red card.
Why it matters
High-stakes sports management often hinges on single match outcomes, illustrating the intense pressure and volatility in professional football coaching.
Image source, Getty Images By Simon Stone Manchester United reporter at Old Trafford Published 17 minutes ago We cannot know how important Bryan Cristante's foot touching the Roma penalty area as Bruno Fernandes took his initial spot-kick at Old Trafford will prove to be for Michael Carrick.
In the moment, as the Roma fans celebrated, and Manchester United trailed 2-0, it seemed catastrophic for the club and terminal for Carrick's position as head coach.
But the video assistant referee (VAR) Carlos del Cerro Grande stepped in, advised a retake was required - and at the very least changed the course of the night.
Fernandes kept his nerve to drive home his second attempt and then, in a frenzied atmosphere, Matheus Cunha scored twice in the final seven minutes. Even without the context of everything that came before the game, it was the most improbable of comebacks.
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