Michael Carrick heaped praise on Benjamin Sesko, as the Slovenia international bagged a late winner in Manchester United’s dramatic 3-2 victory over Fulham in the Premier League
“so, so pleased”for Sesko, who was greeted with a warm reception when he returned to the changing room, having scored his fourth goal in his last four appearances. Carrick also spoke about the importance of scoring late winners for connecting the supporters with the team, as the Reds moved back into the top four. Here’s everything he had to say in his post-match press conference at Old Trafford...
After the wins against City and Arsenal, does this win perhaps feel the most significant, especially with the team’s struggles this season against teams like Fulham?
“I’m not sure it’s more significant, but I understand why you’re asking it. That’s probably not that extreme, but I knew today was going to be really a tough game. You’re getting questions all week and people expecting what are you going to do about breaking down a low block. Fulham were never going to do that. They’ve showed that this is a really good team, so we knew today was going to be a big challenge. I knew it wasn’t going to be easy, it wasn’t going to go smoothly and even at 2-0, they were 5-1 down against City and ended up coming back to 5-4. We knew that going into the game. I think the character to show that once we’ve had that big setback, it was a huge setback in the 90th minute whenever it was. To do that on the back of what we did last week off the setback, it’s probably the most pleasing thing to keep the belief, keep the confidence. Listen, the rest of the game, we can play better at times. We can do things a lot better in certain moments, but I can’t fault the players. The spirit has taken us through today. It’s a good feeling when it does.”
How much confidence do you think Benjamin Sesko will have after getting that winner because he’s not had a lot of game-time in the last few weeks, but that must be a moment he’s been dreaming of?
“Huge moment. I’m so, so pleased. Everyone in the changing room, players, staff, delighted for him, absolutely delighted for him and the reception he got when he came back in the changing room told us everything. Confidence, it wasn’t so much that. He’s been fantastic, we’ve worked with him a lot in different ways over the last couple of weeks. He’s bright in training, he’s looked dangerous, he’s done extra. The coaches have done a lot of bits on the side and Travis [Binnion], particularly, has done a lot of work one-on-one with him. Ben’s a big talent, he’s got so many positive things. And today’s a huge goal because that feeling as a striker to score a winner in front of the Stretford End late like that, it’s what you dream of. After missing the chance, which is what it is, strikers miss chances, to go again and put that away. Absolutely so, so pleased for him. He really deserved it.”
“It’s the best feeling, I have to say. Some of the best moments here that I’ve been lucky to be part of the game, you can dissect the performance and there’s pluses and there’s not. When you get a moment of the elation and the excitement like that, for me, there’s no better place in front of the Stretford End like that. It ends up meaning more. I think people leave here with more than just a United win today. It puts layers on top of that, the connection and the feeling, the emotion, it’s why we all love it so much and especially the supporters. So it goes a long way. There’s been plenty. The excitement, that’s part of this club. It’s not always the easiest way, we’d like to win games a little bit more comfortably than that. But certainly when they come along, it’s pretty special.”
Michael, you have played in a lot of games like that here that end dramatically and end with a late winner, I’m just wondering what it’s like to manage in one. How do the emotions differ being on the touchline compared to being on the pitch?
“Yeah slightly different, I think when you’re in the thick of it as a player, you’re right in the moment and you don’t always see the bigger picture. You’re a little bit different in terms of the attachment of the game. I was pretty calm all the way through, I was disappointed obviously, with the second goal, but I was aware that there was still eight minutes to go at that point, when they scored. If anything, I was thinking there’s a long time to go and we still had the players on the pitch at that point that could really make the difference for us. So I was still really positive that I thought we’d find a moment. Listen, it’s hard to hold your emotions together when the goal goes in like that so I think we all celebrated when that went in. But yeah, I did feel we’d have a moment, we tend to in them type of games, you always have a moment. It’s just whether you can take it. Ben certainly did that from Bruno [Fernandes]. It was great work down the right.”
You talked about being calm there. You do seem quite calm throughout the whole game. Is that important to you to project that to the players? Do you think they can feed off that as well?
“Listen, there’s times to be calm, there’s times to be emotional and there’s times to be angry, there’s times to be upset. That is part of the game and I think it can’t be underestimated that, you’ve got to bring that emotion at times. But, certainly that composure and that calmness for the players to be able to think clearly, it’s getting the balance. I think we’ve got the balance pretty well over the last three games of playing with that bit of fire and bit of hunger, but making good decisions as well. I’m not sure we all made good decisions when that goal went in, in terms of how we celebrated, but that’s what you strive for. That’s why we all love the game for moments like that. So when they do come, you’re going to make the most of them.”
“We’ve all been in this game a long time and you never take anything for granted at all. We can perform better than what we did today, I think. But, that’s credit to Fulham being such a good team. I’m sitting here thinking it’s a good sign we feel we can get better. That doesn’t mean that, all of a sudden, you get better and keep winning games. I think understanding what got us to this point is important and the hard work and the work for each other that the lads are certainly putting in. I think that’s important. But listen I’m not getting carried away. It’s great when you’re in a position and you’re winning games for sure, but it doesn’t mean you necessarily just win the next one. So we’ll have another good week and prepare for that.”
Does the ceiling for this team, how good it could be excite you, seems like a talented bunch?
“There’s huge talent within the team, I think we showed that in this short space of time in different ways. Big goals and some great play. I think consistency and, within a game, even in terms of with the ball, without the ball, in moments that we’d like to look a little bit better, that’s normal. But that’s up to us to try and put that in place. But the boys are desperate to learn, desperate to keep improving. You always feel you got a chance in the game when you’ve got players on the pitch who can produce moments. So the more of them, the better for me.”
What did you think of Kobbie Mainoo’s performance, he’s obviously played well in the previous two, but I think today was a big step up, how important do you think he is becoming a key leader in the club’s future?
“Yeah, I think Kobbie’s performance was very, very good today in so many ways again. You could see the way Fulham played and overloaded the middle at times and the movements, there was a lot of work for Kobbie and Case to do, in particular in the middle of the pitch. So that was without the ball, I thought he’s done terrific in that. And then with the ball, I’ve spoke about it before, about the ability to just cope, he’s not really fazed by it. He plays his game and he understands what’s needed, it’s the moments of quality. It’s what we come to expect from him in many ways and what I come to expect, but you forget how young he is still. He’s still got loads to come, but seeing him today and playing with that kind of confidence and a belief is a real joy to watch to be honest, for any young player.”
“Yeah, I haven’t given the World Cup so much thought, to be honest. We’ve got some really good centre-backs at the club and obviously a couple of young ones on the bench today, which have got big big futures, hopefully at this club. We just felt that the time we came in, experience was important. The other two boys, as I say, will have a lot of games and a lot of performances in their career here because they’ve got really bright futures. But Harry’s came in after playing not a lot of football really, and came into it and done ever so well. He is what he is, he’s such a big presence. Being there, seeing they’ve done it as well. Similar, I think that helps within the group when we’ve got some young players who are still learning. So I think he’s had a big influence with that. And just that composure, as I say, to understand the moments and not be fazed by it. Being a big presence there with him and Licha, particularly at the back, give us the foundation to build on. So listen, see what the future holds in terms of the World Cup, but when he’s like that and the way he’s played, he’s certainly one of the best for me.”