Michael Carrick scored four from four as United’s revitalized side bore a striking resemblance to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s immediate impact in 2018.

Carrick has his first taste of coaching United in a caretaker role following Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s exit in 2021, and any doubts over his long-term suitability for the role have been linked to the former super-sub’s failure to sustain his stunning start.

But Old Trafford is buzzing again and there is no doubt that Carrick has rediscovered the flow, feel and freedom that United enjoyed at the start of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s tenure in 2018/19, when the Norwegian took over.

Goals were flying in, an untethered No. 10 was pulling the strings and there was a renewed sense of confidence throughout the team and a sense that United’s traditional style of play had been restored.

Carrick’s United have scored 10 goals in his four games in charge, having averaged just one goal per game in Amorim’s last four games. That’s less than Solskjaer’s total at the start of his interim tenure, but the opposition are better and they could have easily scored more, especially against Manchester City.

“After poor performances under Mourinho, Solskjaer appears to be giving his players the freedom to express themselves,” we wrote on these pages in 2018, when United beat Cardiff City 5-1 in Solskjaer’s first game.

The same sentiment applies to Michael Carrick’s United – the game plan was simplified but, as he himself said, a “team with a purpose”.

What about the Chief Creator? Back in 2018, Paul Pogba was ranked No. 10. The scapegoat of the Mourinho era often made headlines under Solskjaer Pogba for his cold greetings with the manager on the training ground.

The four goals he scored in Solskjaer’s first two games were as many as he scored in Mourinho’s last 12 games. The four goals he scored in Solskjaer’s second and third games were as many as he scored in Mourinho’s final 20 games.

Bruno Fernandes’ performances throughout the season have been impressive, especially considering United’s poor form under Amorim. But thanks to Carrick’s tactical adjustments, he is also now more dynamic, recovering from a deeper role into the No. 10 position.

Fernandes has provided four assists and a goal in four games under Carrick. “Carrick came up with the right ideas and gave players responsibility and freedom on the pitch,” was the verdict of the Manchester United captain after his second goal against Tottenham on Saturday.

The goal came from a brilliant cross from Diogo Dalot, but United’s half-time performances against Manchester City and Arsenal were also outstanding. It’s high energy, intense, end-to-end. It’s a throwback, an echo of the glory days under Sir Alex Ferguson, who managed and inspired Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Michael Carrick.

“We’ve been conditioned to believe you can’t play like Manchester United,” Neville said after the derby win. “That’s what I’ve been told for the last three, four, five years, ‘Move on, you can’t play like this anymore’.

“You’ve just watched 90 minutes of what I think is the performance of this club when it’s actually at its best.”

Solskjaer once again paid tribute to the club’s great tradition by becoming the first United manager since Sir Matt Busby to win his first four games. That record has now been repeated with Carrick taking the permanent role.

But what happens next?

Solskjaer then won his first six Premier League games, followed by West Ham United and Everton, something Carrick could emulate. Matching Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s record of 14 wins in his first 19 games would be outstanding indeed.

But infamously, after signing a permanent role, Solskjaer managed just two wins in the remaining 10 games of the season.

Roy Keane’s recent comments that Carrick should not be appointed even if he wins every game until the end of the season have sparked debate, but it reflects the scars of Solskjaer’s appointment and how he has proven not to be the answer in the long term.

“They need a bigger, better manager,” Keane said after the win over Arsenal. “The size of the club and the challenges they face in the coming years, you need a manager who you think can help them win the league.”

Solskjaer did achieve two top-flight finishes and lost on penalties in the Europa League final, but failed to secure the title he ultimately expected after investing heavily in the team in the transfer market.

Carrick’s start has been similar to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s, but has he experienced a number of false dawns since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement and now has the foundations set for long-term success?

Debate over Carrick’s ability to take the team to the next level will continue throughout the final months of the season until the end of his current contract in the summer, when United weigh up their alternatives. But there is no doubt that Carrick’s performances at Old Trafford have once again raised expectations.