Michael Carrick has fielded questions on Amad, the prospects of becoming Manchester United head coach beyond this season and any possibility of being able to catch Arsenal in the Premier League.
The boss spoke to journalists after the 2-1 win against in Crystal Palace to preview Wednesday's away game at Newcastle United.
Also providing some team news for the St James' Park encounter, he was effusive in his praise of Amad, who came off the bench to good effect on Sunday.
He conceded it was difficult for him to say too much about keeping the job and also admitted it would involve winning a lot of matches if the Gunners could somehow be overhauled, as they are currently 13 points clear of us in the table, although we do have a game in hand.
Here is what Carras had to say to the reporters at his embargoed press conference...
Amad came out of the team and came off the bench and was amazing. How important will that be for you, the level of competition, so there's a kind of cut-throat challenge for the players, if they don't play well, they might come out of the team?
“It depends how you look at it. I understand what you're saying, the competition, in terms of pushing each other, performance-wise, is important. It just pushes the level up. It keeps you playing on the edge but not from week-to-week where we're really a fan of certain players, all of a sudden, and then, next week you're on the bench and we don't like you anymore. It's really not that. It's a little bit on certain games, certain types, certain strengths. Amad has been massive for us, massive for us. So it's not a major downside that he didn't start. He's a big player for us. That's our approach to it and the boys have been fantastic. I know it's ended up keeping consistency with the team but it doesn't mean we can't change things around or mean it's a big fall-out or someone has had a bad game so they're out of the team. It's not necessarily that at all. The boys have been really good and the flexibility and rotations means we can change things around - that's great for us.”
With Amad, he was here when you were here before with Ole [Gunnar Solskjaer] as well, has he come on a lot, on and off the pitch?
“He's another one, Amad, who is such a dream to work with. His attitude is so positive. He wants to learn, he wants to keep pushing. He asks for more - 'what can I do more?' or 'how can I improve?' He is desperate to do well and has been a huge part of the team. It will be the eye-catching bits sometimes, the bits we know he can bring, but, other times, it's his work off the ball, defending. It's huge to be able to do that for that kind of player. So he's got a lot of attributes, Amad, and the way he came on didn't surprise me. He's been so positive all week so it didn't surprise me.”
Can I ask how Luke Shaw is?
“He was just ill. He wasn't feeling well at all. It was illness, it wasn't an injury. He said he wasn't feeling too well. I hope so [for Wednesday]. We'll have to see. I don't know at this stage but hopefully.”
And Mason Mount and Matthijs de Ligt?
“Not for Wednesday, no.”
The team had a very different system under the previous manager and out-and-out wingers have been moved on. Many people associate United with out-and-out wingers and, obviously, you're now playing a system that needs them. On the left, with Patrick [Chinazaekpere Dorgu] gone, you've got a guy who likes to drift inside there now so do you see that area, left wing, might be one that needs to be addressed in the summer, given who has gone out and given the shift now to 4-2-3-1?
“We're always looking at the balance of the team and the squad, to give you the most flexibility. So it's definitely something to look at, for sure. I think the way Matheus can play that, at times. Amad can do that, at times, he came on at West Ham and played off the left. There are different ways of doing it with the balance of the squad. We've got really good options across the frontline and can change things in games. We have done quite a lot actually, sometimes small things and sometimes bigger things. But Matheus, when he plays outside, one-v-one, is tough to stop.”
You had Luke [Shaw] going off, Noussair Mazraoui at left-back but he's a right-footer. And a left-sided forward who cuts inside, so you could do with an overlapping full-back. I know you've inherited what you've inherited but I wonder if it's something the club has to look at in the summer?
“Quite possibly, in certain ways, but, yeah, I think we can still be dangerous. We can still fill that spot. We've got players to be able to do it, so it's not a huge concern at the moment. We always want to improve, we are always thinking about the perfect scenario of mixing players together, connections and who it suits on the pitch. But Matheus played that role and caused problems, and has had big moments playing wide or inside. He's doing well as well.”
You say you don't want to get carried away but, when you look at your record in charge, can you accept there's a pretty good chance of you being here next season as head coach?
“It's going to be every week, isn't it? There's no getting away from the situation, of course there's not, and there's not really an awful lot I can say about it, to be honest. I love being here, doing what I'm doing. I said from the start, I'm not making any decisions for short-term quick fixes. The responsibility, for however long I'm here, is to make decisions that are the best for the football club in the long term. Of course, listen: winning games helps and the boys are doing great with that. Let's see where it ends up. There is not really much I can say or give you, on top of that, at the moment.”
You're going back to Newcastle and grew up there, as a Newcastle fan. United have struggled there and not won since you were assisting Ole. Newcastle are in a bad run at the moment so what do you make of them, going into the game?
“It's a challenging place to play, when they're in full flow, the supporters there. It's a tough place and we've got to be ready for that different kind of challenge again. I know they've had mixed results of late but they're a good team and Eddie [Howe] is a fantastic manager, a real dangerous team certainly. What our run has been like previously, I don't look at too much but I know this game is a tough game and we have to be ready for that.”
With your own coaching journey, you had time out before coming here, after Middlesbrough, so have you got the coaching bug back here? Whatever happens, if you get the job or not, does your future lie in coaching and management, not TV work?
“Was I not very good at that, no? Nah, listen, I enjoy working with players and I enjoy trying to help players. The responsibility here is the whole football club and I enjoy it. It's a privilege to be in a position to be able to influence certain things. I enjoy working with players, helping them. Whether that's the career or for the team, developing them week-to-week, it is something I really enjoy and am passionate about. I never really lost it. Whether it's managing, head coach or whatever it is, working with players and people really, to get the best out of people, the backroom staff, supporters... it's something I like, seeing that connection growing, the development, growing the technical skills and whether it's seeing the group coming together, from the setback, and being able to overcome that, it's nice when you're part of that.”
Would you 100 per cent rule out catching Arsenal?
“You threw that one in now, as well. Listen, you can't rule anything out in football, right? You've got to be realistic and know where it's at. We've just got to try winning games and see where we are. Above us are two fantastic teams and there are some really good teams in and around us. We've had a good run but we're certainly not getting carried away. We've got to be patient, living in the moment a little but take the confidence and, wherever that takes us, we've got to see, but we'll keep pushing anyway.”
One of the reasons I ask is Sir Alex Ferguson never gave up, he may well have overhauled 10 points in your time, I'm not so sure. But you played under him and he never gives up, are you cut from the same cloth, so why not give it a go?
“It's definitely a glass half-full more what you can achieve than the negative side. That's what half-time was today [Sunday], those moments, how it's going to go both ways but you've got to take the positive one. Of course, being realistic, we have to win a lot of football matches for that to happen. We'll do what we've been doing and go one at a time. We've got one now and then a bit of a break before Villa and we'll give everything we've got on Wednesday night.”