Michael Carrick admitted he was “bitterly disappointed” after Manchester United suffered a dramatic late defeat to Newcastle United at St James’ Park.
The clash swung wildly before a late twist settled the contest. First, a chaotic end to the opening half saw Jacob Ramsey shown a red card for the hosts.
Moments later, Anthony Gordon converted from the penalty spot to fire Newcastle ahead, only for Casemiro to respond with a headed equaliser.
With the numerical advantage after the break, United pushed forward but struggled to find their rhythm.
Despite testing Aaron Ramsdale on a few occasions, the decisive moment arrived in stoppage time when William Osula curled home a dramatic winner for the Magpies.
Reflecting on the defeat, Carrick admitted his side failed to capitalise on the opportunity the game presented.
“Yeah, we’re not happy [with] the way we played the game tonight,” Carrick said.
“The way they game panned out, I think we had it in our hands largely, but credit to Newcastle.
“I thought the way they approached the game, I thought we knew it was going to be a tough game here.
“But we navigated the game to be in a position where we felt we should kick on and we didn’t really. So yeah, bitterly disappointed.”
Despite the frustration, Carrick was quick to defend the mentality of his squad, insisting that desire and character were never in doubt.
“It was just the quality and the performance; it wasn’t character or wanting to win or anything like that.
“It’s easy to throw that in, just because you don’t win a game of football.
“Credit to Newcastle, they deserve to win tonight, so it hurts me to say that, but that’s how it was.”
He added: “And we need to get back to working and be better for the next game.
“There’s lessons in it, and we need to learn together as a group.
“We’ve got time to look at it and improve.”
Even with the setback, United remain in a strong position in the table, something Carrick was keen to highlight as he looked ahead to the upcoming fixtures.
“We’ve lost one game, alright? So, we haven’t played well enough, but, in the grand scheme of things, we’re in a decent position, you know?
“So, tonight hurts because we don’t like losing games, but we’ll be better for the next one.”
The gaffer also emphasised the need for renewed focus as the Reds prepare for their next challenge.
“So, you’ve got to get back at it and work hard and do the things that we did to win the games we’ve won, you know, and we can do that.
“We’re a good team. We’ve got good players. Tonight wasn’t for us.”
Looking ahead, Carrick confirmed preparations will continue as normal as United gear up for a crucial clash with fellow European hopefuls Aston Villa.
“Yeah, [the preparation for Villa will be] just like any other week.
“We win a game, we lose a game, it’ll change your feelings, of course it does.
“And then we’ve got to learn from it and we’ve got to get better from it.
“Listen, we’ve had a lot of praise lately, and the boys deserved it.
“And tonight, we’re disappointed, but it doesn’t change how we approach the next game.
“We’ve got everything to play for and we’ll have a good week, we’ll work hard, we’ll learn, and we look forward to the next game.”
United will now aim to bounce back quickly as the Premier League run-in intensifies, with the battle for Champions League qualification still very much alive.
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