You can now see the second part of Michael Carrick's pre-match press conference, ahead of Manchester United's Premier League meeting with Chelsea on Saturday night.
Before Carrick and his players departed for London on Friday afternoon, the boss sat with reporters at our Carrington training ground to preview the fixture, which looks set to have a sizeable impact on the race for the top flight's five UEFA Champions League positions.
United currently occupy third place in the division, with Chelsea seven points back in sixth, and hoping to close the gap this weekend.
In part two of the media briefing, Carrick was asked about former United and now-Chelsea forward Alejandro Garnacho, Blues boss Liam Rosenior and Marcus Rashford, who is on loan at Barcelona.
Keep scrolling to read, and watch, everything he said...
Hi Michael, you said you'd be involved in conversations with Jason Wilcox ahead of the summer transfer window. Have you spoken to him yet? And potentially would left wing be an area that you'd like to strengthen?
“Yeah, I mean, listen, there's kind of stages to go through in terms of the summer. There are decisions to be made, of course there is, but then also timing's a thing. Obviously, my situation's one thing, so it's just working through that. There are certainly conversations to be going [on] because it's natural, but in terms of an official kind of, ‘this is what's going to happen exactly’, that's not something that I've committed to recruitment-wise. But we've certainly had conversations and that's just natural. But I'm not really making a big thing of it, to be honest. I think that'll happen in time anyway.”
Do you feel like you have a strong relationship with Jason Wilcox at this moment?
“Yeah, sure, I work with him every day, it's not a problem. Like everyone at the club.”
Hi Michael, just on that as well. You were here at the same time as Alejandro [Garnacho], I know you probably had minimal dealings with him, but what were your experiences with him when he did come over from Spain?
“To be honest, I didn't really have loads of contact with him. The crossover was really kind of short, if anything really, so it's hard for me to delve too much into that. He obviously had success in the youth team and got into the first team and moved on really. So, for me, not being here at that stage [means] it’s difficult for me to kind of give too much on, of what happened.”
Just on that left-hand side, obviously Marcus [Rashford] is on this season-long loan at Barcelona. I know your situation is still a little bit up in the air, but would you be open to bringing him back? Do you think the door should still be left open for him to play for United again?
“I just think there's decisions to be made in time really on certain things and obviously, Marcus is in that situation, but at this point in time, nothing's been decided. It will be, because it has to be at a certain point, but at this stage there's nothing to say.”
Obviously, the complaint went in over the penalty discrepancy at Bournemouth. The appeal now has gone in about the Martinez red card on Monday night. With what's going on in the game right now, in terms of hair-pulling compared to what goes on in the penalty box and every single corner and free-kick, and then what you've witnessed at Bournemouth, is it getting to the stage where even managers and players don't know exactly what the rules are now?
“I think we know what the rules are, it’s more about how they're brought out really. I think, yeah, it's definitely clear with the rules, but it's... I don't think we've been on the right side of some of the decisions, but I'm kind of repeating what I've said over the last couple of weeks, to be honest, and I think probably I've said enough already.”
But how frustrating is it as a manager to get those decisions in game and then even when you take it further, with a complaint or… to get no joy whatsoever back from the powers that be?
“Yeah, it's desperately, desperately frustrating. Decisions can be made in the moment, and you get that, some are right or wrong. I think that's the backup of VAR, which we hope would get a lot right, and then on the backup of that, of the whole process, of we don't feel that we've been on the right end of that. I think that's as much as I can say.”
Obviously, this weekend sees you take on Liam Rosenior, probably two people not expected at the start of this season to be in these roles. In terms of English coaches, you both went to the Championship to work there. How do you see the pathway for English coaches? Do you have to take more risks, taking these jobs that maybe you weren't expecting and things like that?
“I don't think you take more risks. I think you kind of take what's in front of you and take the opportunity. I think that's the big thing. Whatever level of football it is, I don't think there's a perfect or an ideal pathway really, or an education or experience. I think it's proven over time some get thrown in right at the top. Some will work their way up from lower leagues, some will come from maybe under-18s or 21s football. I don't think there's a natural or naturally a perfect pathway. I think you've just got to make the most of the opportunities that are given to you and some come sooner than others. I'm sitting here and maybe at some point it didn't look like it was going to happen, but this is where I find myself and I’m trying to make the most of it.”
And, although it's a rival, when someone gets a big job like that, that has come through a similar pathway, do you appreciate it a bit more, do you sort of raise a smile to it?
“Yeah, of course. For us, it would be great to have more younger coaches, managers coming through and being at the top, in the elite, at top clubs and the top competitions. I think that would be great for the country and for the national team and whatever moving forward. There's an element of focus on what's happening right now and what job I'm in and what I'm trying to achieve and almost fighting against the world when you're doing that because it's us against everybody else. You've got to take on that mentality as well, but certainly respecting the coaches and what it takes, and then managers throughout the game, whether English or not, of the challenges that brings, and when someone's doing well, respecting what they do, for sure.”
“Yeah, I don't think it's kind of [about] going into the individual, I just think both players can play that position. Sometimes playing a bit wider, sometimes playing inside the pitch, sometimes playing a little bit deeper inside, sometimes playing higher on the last line, depending on kind of what spaces we want to attack really. And I think both can play that position well. Obviously, Bryan's played through the middle, and he's played on the left once or twice as well. So, I think it's just game-to-game. Both are really good players. Obviously, we like them a lot and they've done some really good things and are a big part of what we do.”
The idea of playing higher and playing wider, is that something that they've got their own freedom to interpret or is that direct coming from you on a game-to-game basis?
“I think going with what their strengths are naturally as individuals, for sure, and I think that's part of when you choose a team. I think we know what individuals bring. It's definitely the structure and the principles within the game and the game plan that we want to carry forward, but then it’s trusting the players to do what they're good at within the boundaries of that as well.”
I know you can't make sort of definite pronouncements about Marcus Rashford this far out, but there was a story in Spain this week, for example, that Barcelona had supposedly told him that they weren't going to sort of follow through with a permanent deal. You've shown already in your short time with players like Kobbie Mainoo and Harry Maguire, when it looked like their future lay elsewhere, you've given them the chance. Do those sorts of players, do they always have a chance at United as long as they're sort of with the team, with the squad?
“Certainly from my perspective, whoever's here I want to work with, make the best out of and help improve. At the moment, it's this squad, a squad of players and there's obviously players on loan and whatever happens with that later on will happen with that later on. But certainly, as a coach and as a leader of a squad, we want to get the best out of everyone as much as we possibly can for sure, yeah.”
The door's never closed with any players as far as you're concerned, if Marcus was to come back in the summer?
“Yeah, I'm not going on the Marcus individual one because I think, like I've already touched on, I think comment either way at this stage is just… it's not the right thing to do because there's uncertainties for sure. So, it's for me, as I said, individual players who I'm able to work with as part of the squad… I enjoy doing that and trying to get the best out of them.”