Carrick keeps feet on the ground

The astounding scale of the triumph, let alone the swashbuckling manner in which it was achieved, has seen United confirmed as Champions League favourites.

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Boasting a three-point lead and a vastly superior goal difference with six games remaining in the Premiership and facing an FA Cup semi-final this weekend against a Watford side seemingly certain to drop straight back into the Championship, a repeat of the unprecedented 1999 Treble-winning campaign is starting to look like more than just a possibility.

But Carrick, who began the rout with one memorable strike, then dispatched an even better one for good measure after half-time, accepts the win have little bearing on the challenges which lie ahead.

"We know this victory is going to be remembered for a long time," he said.

"The performance was almost perfect but it won't count for anything when we get to the semi-finals.

"We cannot afford to get carried away and we cannot afford to let it change the way we do our jobs.

"Maybe people were half-asking questions of us because we lost the last two games but we must keep doing the things that have got us into this position.

"Everyone knew we were a good team anyway, so other than a psychological boost and a bit of confidence, I don't think the result makes that much difference."

Carrick recalled a couple of 7-1 beatings earlier in his career but was trawling back to his youth team days at West Ham to recall the last time he was on the right end of such a lop-sided scoreline.

It represented United's biggest win since they beat Irish minnows Waterford by the same scoreline in 1968, a day when the legendary Denis Law scored four times.

Against vastly superior opposition, Carrick managed only two. But the goals capped what the England midfield agreed was his best performance since moving north from Tottenham in an £18.6million deal last summer.

"Maybe it was my best performance, just because of the size of the game," he said.

"I don't ever remember scoring twice in a game before, certainly not one of such importance.

"I suppose the first one was quite important because we wanted a good start but I really enjoyed the second. You try things like that in training; sometimes they go in, sometimes they don't. But to see that shot nestle in the top corner was absolutely fantastic."

Although the prevailing view from the stands was one of disappointment when news of Chelsea's injury-time winner in Valencia was announced, from a purely professional standpoint, the United dressing room was probably quite pleased.

Given the intensity of their own programme and the narrowing of their lead at the Premiership summit, the last thing Sir Alex Ferguson would have wanted was for Jose Mourinho's boys to find themselves with a couple of free midweeks in which to rest their tired bodies.

Instead, the battle for supremacy between the two could boil down to three mouthwatering May meetings in a fortnight should both advance into the final of the FA Cup this weekend and the Champions League next month.

"I suppose the more games Chelsea have to play, the more it helps us," reflected Carrick.

"But winning does become a habit and the run-in is going to be tight whatever happens.

"What Chelsea's result does do is confirm the Premiership as probably the best league around at the moment. To get three teams into the semi-finals of the Champions League is a great achievement."

If the Premiership is the best league in the world, then there is little doubt over its star attraction.

Didier Drogba may be a plausible rival for all the main individual honours this year but in terms of sheer excitement, Carrick's fellow two-goal hero Cristiano Ronaldo is unmatched.

"What more can you say about Cristiano?" questioned Carrick.

"He is the best player in the world just now. The bigger the challenge, the bigger the performance. He is going to have an awful lot to say in terms of how we finish the season.

"At the moment we just have to give him the ball and let him get on with it. Put it this way, I am glad he is in my team and not anyone else's."