Michael Carrick hails 'natural' leadership as Manchester United beat Liverpool to seal Champions League spot

Michael Carrick stated that leading his team "feels pretty natural" after the interim manager guided Manchester United to a 3-2 win against Liverpool that sealed Champions League qualification. Victory over Arne Slot's visitors to Old Trafford took Carrick's tally to 32 points from his 14 games in charge since replacing Ruben Amorim in January. This has made him the favourite to be offered the full-time position and the 44-year-old was reminded of his record with regard to him becoming the No 1. Carrick said: "It's been a good run. We've beaten some very, very good teams and it's been challenging. Sometimes we've won it in some ways, sometimes we've won it in other ways. I love doing what I'm doing. It's a great position for me to be in and it feels pretty natural if I'm totally honest. "I'm not being blase because it's a difficult role, but I feel like I've been here a long time, in different times on and off, but I can understand what it brings and to be sat in this position is a good position to be in." He was asked if there would be disappointment if the role is not his to turn down. "We will just have to wait and see," Carrick said. "When we came in, the Champions League was a little bit in the distance so to be where we are, with three games to spare, is a good achievement." Kobbie Mainoo's 77th-minute winner came after Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko gave United a 2-0 lead, before Dominik Szoboszlai and Cody Gakpo drew Liverpool level. Mainoo heaped praise on the interim manager. "All the confidence he gives all the players, you want to follow him and fight for him and die for him on the pitch," he said. Slot believes Sesko, who was replaced due to a shin problem, handballed before he scored though the video assistant referee ruled the goal was legal. Liverpool's manager said: "If it was a touch, which I think it is because if you know a bit about ball sports, you know that if a ball has a certain curve and the curve changes, there must have been a contact. "But if it's light then we should have a debate in football about whether that's enough to disallow a goal. I don't think it's a surprise to anyone this season that if there's a VAR intervention or if there's something that could be left or could be right [50-50] then the decision goes against us." While the Dutchman did not blame the officiating for the result, he stated that Alexander Isak, who missed the defeat through injury, should return before the end of the season.