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Michael Carrick says he “has to be careful” with the goals he sets for himself at Manchester United.
Carrick was speaking in the embargo portion of the pre-match press conference ahead of tomorrow’s Manchester derby at Old Trafford after taking on the role of interim head coach.
What are the objectives of the season?
The first question of this section was: “You were appointed head coach at the end of the season. There is no interim or caretaker role. Have there been discussions with you and the people here about a role after this season?”
Carrick replied:
“No, not at the moment. I think we are also realistic, and where we are now, why I am here and what role I have to play.”
“That doesn’t change the way we go about it on a day-to-day basis, in terms of focus, and making decisions for the long-term strategy of the group and the playing squad, and whatever else that adds down the layers. I certainly don’t think it’s a time where we have to get through it week by week, game by game, and take each one-off step. I think we’re moving towards a plan to continue to get better after this season.”
“Whatever it looks like at the moment, the only thing I can control is what we give the players and how we create the atmosphere around the group. So that’s the main focus. And then we’ll see what happens next.”
He was then asked, “If the opportunity arose to continue at the end of this season, would you be interested in it?”
“Listen, I’m here because I like the role and I wanted to do it,” he replied. “And I’m extremely privileged to be in this position. So that’s where I am. It doesn’t change, no matter the term or how long. I’m here to do my best. And hopefully I have a lot of experience with what it takes and where we need to go, and I’ll try to help with that.”
The next question was a tricky one. The reporter asked: “You were here four years ago now in a similar role, albeit short-lived. I think for many fans the wider picture of the club feels the same. It feels like no progress has been made. Since then, managers have come and gone. There has been some new ownership. The fans are still protesting against them. I know your role here is short-lived, but how can you unite a club where it feels like everyone is on a different page at the moment?” And I think for the fans it feels a bit soulless and doesn’t go anywhere. How can you influence that?
The Wallsend man replied:
“I certainly don’t think it’s soulless. I think there’s something magical about this place. I feel immediately at home, when I enter the building, come around it. I’ve obviously been around it for a while and then missed a little window. But I think there’s something magical about this place. You can’t help but feel that.”
“Results, and sometimes things look a little different from the outside, but from the inside it certainly doesn’t feel very different, I have to say. Listen, part of my role and the responsibility is to shape what we want to look like as a group. What happens on the pitch and the tactical side and the performance is one thing, but certainly also the culture and how we think, how we act, how we behave, what it means for us to be here. That’s something that’s part of my responsibility. way to spread.”
How will he restore trust?
A reporter then asked “when we spoke to Darren [Fletcher] On Sunday he talked about the players feeling a bit vulnerable at the moment when it comes to their confidence. What have you and your employees done this week to rebuild that trust?”
“Obviously, I think a lot of confidence comes from… It’s funny, confidence actually, because sometimes you can get it from a little moment or you can get a little situation, and all of a sudden you get excited about it,” he said. “And that is sport, top sport. We have seen it in every sport. When you are confident and in the zone, everything goes a little slower, but everything is very clear and you are calm.”
“I think sometimes you want something so bad and you’re so desperate that you can almost try too hard and sometimes it affects you too much. So there’s that, there’s finding the balance of that. And listen, we’re here to support the players. We’re here to help them and we’re here to make them better. And we’re by their side to get them through it. And hopefully they’ve felt that over the last few days. And listen, we’ve had three days to prepare for the game, but We feel like we are in a good place and everyone is looking forward to it.”
“Michael, the team you inherited from Ruben really struggled to put together winning runs,” the next reporter said. “I think it wasn’t until they beat Liverpool, Sunderland and Brighton in October that it was the only time they won consecutive games in the Premier League. How are you going to approach that? Because if there is a challenge to get to Europe you’re going to have to win some games, but the team is showing that the team is capable of maintaining winning runs. How important is that? How are you going to approach that?”
The boss replied:
“Yes, it’s a new start. I have a lot of confidence in the group, individually and collectively. I have a lot of confidence in that. Like I just said, confidence and feeling. It can go in a different direction very quickly. I have a lot of confidence in the boys. I’m not going to tell everything about how we’re going to do it, because I’m a bit stupid to do that. But I think tactically and as a team, what we’re going to do.” what we want to look like and things that we think can help us and be hugely positive.”
“And what we can achieve, I think, is half full, half empty. And so often it gets what players can’t do or the team can’t do, but actually forget what they can do, what they are good at and believe in that and work on the strengths and feed off that and feed that energy to make you better. There are a lot of players and a lot of teams in the world that can’t do things, but that doesn’t stop them from being successful. So we have to find that ingredient and I fully believe we can do that.”
Carrick was then asked what he thinks about the culture at the club and if this is something that needs to be addressed.
“I’ve been back in this role for three days now and there’s nothing I’ve looked at and that’s a real red flag, I have to say,” Carrick insisted. “The players were very good, willing to listen, willing to learn, wanted to do better, wanted to do better for the club, wanted to perform better. That’s the feeling I have, the support staff. Everyone is desperate to do well, as I just said. We have to channel that. We have to channel that.”
“And listen of course, the culture is something that happens every day. It’s not something I sit here and talk about and say a few words here and there and it makes it sound good. It’s how you behave and what you end up doing every day. So that’s something we have to build. But certainly at the moment I feel like it’s a good place. And the training ground has been a really good place. We have to make Old Trafford an even better place tomorrow with the help of the supporters.” Well. And that’s the magic of what we’re trying to do.
Is success Champions League qualification?
Would he consider it a failure if United fail to qualify for the Champions League this season?
“I have to be careful about what is a success and what is a failure when it comes down to such an obvious way,” he replied. “I think it’s not that clear. I think the success is increasing and improving. You can’t ignore the fact that this club should be there. We can talk all day about where you should be, but how are you going to get there? You have to earn it. You have to prove that you are good enough to get there.”
“So that’s the challenge for us. And it always has been. And that doesn’t change. It doesn’t change the motivation, the drive and it doesn’t change the expectation. And it shouldn’t change the expectation. Sure, there’s a bit of realism from me, but I’m certainly not going into ‘it’s all or nothing’. But we have to improve and we have to keep the competition high.”
Given the unrest, wouldn’t that be a solution?
“No, that’s what I mean,” he said. “There’s a lot to play for. There’s a huge encouragement, there’s a huge positivity from me and from the whole group. I know it’s the competition that we have to focus on. It’s a carrot of course, but that doesn’t mean it’s all or nothing. That’s the point. It doesn’t have to be that extreme. We have to build and we have to take steps. I’m not going to say everything will be perfect yet, but that’s not realistic either. But we will take small steps and we have to keep moving in that direction.”
The next reporter said:
“I want to fully respect your record in the Championship at Middlesbrough. You’ve only managed three games at this level. Very successful when you did. I think two wins and a draw. Why are you so confident that you can do this job? Because it’s Manchester United, you haven’t really had the length or breadth of experience that you’re going to have, the number of games?”
Carrick replied:
“I’ve never thought about it like that before. I just feel comfortable. I feel at home. Not comfortable because it’s fun and everything is great. It’s nice that I’m comfortable in my own skin, happy in this role. I know what it takes. I worked closely with Jose and Ole for a while, so when I took over it felt like a very natural step. I understand the questions, and that’s how it is. You always ask questions until you achieve something. So that’s how it is. But I can just saying that I feel at home, that I am ready and that I am really looking forward to getting started.”
Will Jason Wilcox be given guidance on how the team should play?
Finally, Carrick was asked if he had “had conversations about the type of team” Jason Wilcox and INEOS would like to see, given that it had been a source of tension for the previous manager, Ruben Amorim.
“No different from any other team when it comes to putting players on the pitch that we think will fit in a good balance and, depending on who we play, what it looks like and where our strength lies,” he explained. “That’s it. It’s up to me and my coaches and the staff to put that together. I’m flexible at times. Like I said, we’ve been here for three days, so it’s a big game. Obviously playing against a strong team. A very good team, playing well. So there are challenges in that. But obviously it’s up to me and my staff to find that formula.”
Every word of the first part of the press is available here.
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