Carrick wins his first Premier League Manager of the Month award, and the curse has already begun! Trusting one Manchester United player might break the jinx.

Carrick has been selected by the Premier League as the best manager for January, with the announcement soon to be made. After his appointment last month, he guided the team to three straight wins over Manchester City, Arsenal, and Fulham. Although this is Carrick’s inaugural recognition, many supporters fear the team could face the "Manager of the Month curse."

The so-called Premier League Manager of the Month curse means that after winning the award, a coach’s team experiences a significant drop in results. The 2025/26 season was no exception: in August, Liverpool’s manager Jürgen Klopp was named best, but the team then lost 9 out of 12 matches over two months, ending their title hopes. In September, Oliver Glasner won the award, after which Crystal Palace’s form plummeted, pushing them into the relegation zone.

In October, Manchester United’s former manager Rúben Amorim received the award, but the team failed to win afterward, leading to Amorim’s dismissal. In November, Chelsea’s former coach Enzo Maresca was honored, but the next month the club managed just one win in six games, resulting in both Maresca and Amorim being sacked simultaneously.

In December, the Premier League Manager of the Month was Unai Emery, who led Aston Villa to a January league record of 2 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss—not ideal, but across all competitions, they achieved 5 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss, which was an overall acceptable performance.

The Premier League Manager of the Month curse is not mere superstition; it has a rational basis because teams naturally experience fluctuations in form, and after a peak, a downturn is common. Additionally, opponents study tactics more thoroughly to counter them. With the Premier League’s fierce competition, poor handling of these factors can cause a rapid decline from the top to the bottom.

In fact, after securing four consecutive wins, Carrick faced a setback in his fifth match when Manchester United drew 1-1 with West Ham, narrowly avoiding defeat. He was criticized for selecting the wrong starting lineup, as weaknesses were exploited by West Ham’s manager Nuno Espírito Santo.

The late equalizer scorer Sheshko was omitted from the starting eleven, which was seen as a mistake. However, Carrick chose to stick with the lineup that had won the previous three matches, a common approach many managers take, believing in the logic of "if it’s not broken, don’t fix it."

Yet, the hallmark of a great coach is the ability to make timely adjustments based on the match situation. Manchester United’s front three of Mbemou, Amad Diallo, and Cunha played a flexible false nine system, but against West Ham’s compact defense, they struggled to break through.

The United front trio showed almost no impact in the first half, especially Amad, who should have been substituted at halftime. Unfortunately, Carrick waited until the 70th minute to make a routine substitution, finally bringing Sheshko on for Amad.

Broadcast footage showed Sheshko sitting on the bench without a jacket throughout the second half, the only substitute dressed that way. Carrick still waited 24 minutes before bringing him on. This change ultimately saved Manchester United, as Sheshko scored a last-minute equalizer. This confirmed the pre-match belief that he should have started was indeed justified.

One reason to start Sheshko against West Ham is his scoring streak after Rúben Amorim’s departure, which deserved reward. Continuously scoring as a substitute but still being overlooked can be very frustrating for a player. By February 23, when Manchester United visited Everton, Sheshko’s form was undeniable, having scored 5 goals in 6 games.

No one wants to be a "super-sub." After the West Ham match, Sheshko expressed his desire for more playing time. "I think everyone wants that—to win, to score, and to fight for each other," Sheshko said. "Unfortunately, we didn’t win in the end, but at least we got a draw, and that point might be important. I feel incredible, knowing I helped the team again by scoring and securing at least one point."