Michael Carrick is refusing to rule out the possibility that Manchester United could still catch Arsenal at the top of the Premier League table.
Victory over Crystal Palace on Sunday moved United up to third behind Mikel Arteta’s side and Manchester City in second.
Carrick’s team will kick off against Newcastle on Wednesday 13 points off the top.
But after six wins and a draw from his seven games in charge, the interim head coach insists a late title challenge — as unrealistic as it might be — is not impossible.
“You can’t rule anything out in football, but we’ve got to be realistic and know where it’s at,” Carrick said.
“I think we’ve just got to try and keep winning games and see. Above us now there’s two fantastic teams. There’s some really good teams in and around us.
“We’ve had a good run, we’re certainly not getting carried away.
“Of course, I’m being realistic about it. We have to win a lot of football matches for that to happen.”
United’s improved form under Carrick has raised the possibility that the former England midfielder could win the head coach job permanently.
He’s repeatedly played down talk about his future, but with every positive result come more questions about whether he will be in the role next season.
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“It’s going to be every week, isn’t it, this?” Carrick laughed when asked for an update on the situation.
“There’s no getting away from the situation of course. There’s not really an awful lot I can say about it to be honest.
“I love being here. I love doing what I’m doing. I’ve said it from the start, I’m not making any decisions for short-term or quick fixes.
“Winning games helps and the boys are doing great with that.
“We’ll just have to see where it ends up. There’s not really much I can give you on top of that at the moment, really.”
