Nicky Butt has been quick to praise Manchester United for their changed ‘mindset’ since the introduction of Michael Carrick, following the Reds 1-1 draw to West Ham United.
On Tuesday night, Manchester United made the long trip down to London to face Nuno Espirito Santo’s West Ham United side, who were in desperate search of a win.
Whilst Michael Carrick’s outfit came into the fixture off the back of four consecutive Premier League victories, their hosts for the evening were sat in 18th, three points off safety.
The Hammers were resilient and looked extremely well-drilled as they frustrated the Reds before eventually taking the lead in the 50th minute thanks to a Thomas Soucek finish.
Despite struggling for vast parts of the fixture, United managed to secure a point in the dying moments, as their substitute, Benjamin Šeško, was well-positioned to sweep a Bryan Mbeumo cross into the top corner.
Butt compliments United mentality
Following United’s late fightback, Nicky Butt spoke on the Reds’ recent change in mindset as they have looked far hungrier for success than in recent years.
As reported by The Independent, the former United midfielder said, “This was going to happen sooner or later.
“It’s good to go back up the road with a point, and Everton, I think they’ll go on and win that. And I think they’ll finish fourth or third in the league, and that will be a really good end to the season for Michael [Carrick] and Man Utd,” said Butt.
“I think six weeks ago, Man Utd lose that game 2-0 or 3-0, but now they’re in a different mindset, they’re a different group of players, there’s a different management team, and that’s why they get a result. But six weeks ago, [I] guarantee they’d have lost that.
“I’m convinced they would have lost that game, their heads would have gone down, they’d have given up a little bit, but now there’s a different mindset.”
United’s Champions League prospects
In a season where the Reds have only got the league to focus on, they will be more desperate than ever to secure themselves a spot in next season’s Champions League competition.
United crashed out of both the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup at the earliest stage, meaning their season will consist of a record-low 40 games.
Following their draw at the London Stadium, Carrick’s outfit now sit fourth in the table, two points behind Aston Villa, who currently have a game in hand.
Having already played the league’s top two twice, the Reds will be hopeful of securing a spot in the 2026/27 Champions League, though they will face tough competition from Chelsea, Villa and Liverpool.
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