Manchester United's Champions League success provided a welcome lift after a difficult run of results, but Carrick knows one performance cannot transform the season on its own. Ahead of Sunday's meeting with Aston Villa, he insisted the responsibility now rests with his players to maintain the level they showed against Roma.
"It's up to us to take it forward. It was a fantastic night. It was a one-off night. I think, as it unfolded and the game developed to finish so strongly and, for large parts of the game, we played very well and deserved it.
"It wasn't, all of a sudden, that we scored some goals from nowhere. I thought we played really well and deserved the game. And it was nice to end like that, it was nice for the supporters to end like that and to have that feeling, 100 per cent, for sure.
"But nothing's done yet, nothing's achieved yet and it's one moment really in time that we need to use to move forward, but we need more of it for sure."
The anniversary of Ferguson's arrival at United offered Carrick an opportunity to reflect on the manager who shaped so much of his playing career.
Carrick, who won five Premier League titles and the Champions League under the Scot, revealed that their relationship has evolved since his retirement from playing.
"What's not been said already? I mean, it's something definitely worth celebrating as a football club. It's 40 years this week since he came here, the impact and everything that he was driven for, him for the football club moving forward for all the time that he was here and that he's left for all those to carry forward is incredible.
"And I'm probably closer to him now and speak more to him now than I did when I was playing. I think the relationships change over time and that's only natural.
"Ever since I came here, the impact he had on me as an individual was immense and not necessarily directly as in talking all the time and advice all the time, personally it was more of just the influence that he had and the habits that you try and pick up from him, as did everyone around the football club over that period of time."
Carrick described how their relationship has developed into a friendship, adding that Ferguson's influence will continue to be felt at the club.
The current United boss was also asked whether modern football makes it unrealistic for managers to receive the same time Ferguson was afforded during his early years.
Carrick acknowledged that the game has changed, but believes the principles behind building a successful team remain the same.
"Success does take time and we don't like having to spend time, but it does take a period of time to build. We showed a really quick response and improved a lot last season and it shows what is possible, but again, sustaining it is the key.
"Consistency is the key. There's no other way of doing it. There's no shortcuts to it."
Carrick also reported that Carlos Baleba would be unavailable for several weeks after leaving the Roma match in discomfort. Patrick Dorgu has returned to limited training, but United will remain cautious after his recent hamstring problems.
The immediate challenge, however, is to take the confidence from Roma into the Villa fixture. Carrick knows the performance will only matter if United can reproduce it.