He faces something of a banana peel as he visits the Hill Dickinson Stadium tonight, though.
Before losing to Bournemouth last time out, the Toffees had been on a five-match unbeaten run of their own in the Premier League, leaving them in the conversation for a European berth.
And Everton can move within five points of United with a win this evening, taking them as high as seventh in the table
United may have a leg up for the match, though, given Carrick’s experience with Everton boss David Moyes’ football.
He made 36 appearances during Moyes’ fraught tenure with United, which ended prematurely after he failed to qualify for the Champions League.
Despite that, Carrick had nothing but good things to say about Moyes in his pre-match media duties: “David’s [Moyes] teams are hard to play against, he is such a good manager and knows what it takes to have success in this league.
“It is going to take a lot, going away, new stadium, but [this fixture] historically has always been tough, one of the toughest I have played away from home and trying to be the best we can.”
How to watch Everton vs Manchester United
TV channel: In the UK, the game will be televised live on Sky Sports. Coverage of Monday Night Football starts at 6.30pm GMT on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League.
Live stream: Sky Sports subscribers can also catch the contest live online via the Sky Go app.
Live blog: You can follow all the action on matchday via Standard Sport’s live blog, featuring expert insight and analysis.