Carrick: We Must Continue to Develop

Manchester United manager Michael Carrick lauded his team's performance in their 3-0 victory over Brighton. Despite the match being a dead rubber, Carrick was pleased with his players' serious approach and their ability to secure all three points. He now hopes the team will continue its development into the next season.

"We finished strongly. We had a good run, and third place was already secured, so I liked the way we concluded the season and maintained that momentum. We were fully focused, understanding this wasn't the end of the season, but the next stage. Today's match epitomized that with the approach the lads showed... This gives us a platform to build upon for next season," Carrick stated.

Bruno Fernandes set a new standalone Premier League record for most assists in a single season with 21. He achieved this by delivering a corner kick for Dorgu's header, which gave United a 1-0 lead against Brighton.

"That's what he does so often. Creating and scoring goals is his gift. He has an innate instinct for creation, and he showed it again today. Bruno has a huge impact on the team; he's the captain and leads by example in various ways," Carrick commented on Fernandes.

When asked if he was optimistic about retaining the Portuguese international, the manager continued: "I have no reason to think otherwise. We like what he's done, and he loves being here. I think that's evident."

He then discussed his expectations for the upcoming season, having been appointed as permanent manager.

"I'm happy to be staying here for longer, and we need to keep developing. We have work to do. We need to keep improving, we want to be a little bit better, but it's very, very encouraging to be doing it from this position. The lads deserve huge credit for how consistent they've been, for the different ways we've won games, and how strong they are. I think it's really important to appreciate that," Carrick concluded.