Michael Carrick has admitted to calling upon to the support of former Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in recent weeks.
Carrick and Solskjaer worked together at Old Trafford during the Norwegian's reign from 2018-21, forming part of a tight-knit coaching group at Old Trafford.
Carras has since taken on the reigns as our head coach until the end of the season, but admitted to confiding in Ole, when quizzed on the matter in part two of his press conference on Friday.
With Arsenal next up, Michael is looking to follow up on an impressive victory in M16 last weekend, when the Reds beat Manchester City 2-0.
Read on find out what was discussed in part two of Michael's press conference, with quotes and video available below...
Big game on Sunday. I think in your four games in charge at this club, you were unbeaten against Guardiola, Tuchel, Emery and Arteta. That’s got to give you confidence going into a game like Sunday’s?
Ole [Gunnar Solskjaer], have you actually spoken to him since you came in?
“Yeah, yeah I’ve spoken to him. We’re close, we’ve been through a lot together. He’s been fully supportive, as you’d expect. He’s some man, I respect him an awful lot. He wished us all the best, and he was happy that we got the right result.”
“I’ll be honest with you, I think the confidence I’m taking going into the game is what we’ve seen since I’ve been here, between me and my staff, in terms of the game itself, training, how the boys have gone about it. Those games from three or four years ago, it’s done, it’s in the past. So as much as the experience, it kind of helps you in certain moments, I think it’s a totally different game on Sunday, and two teams going into it. Looking forward to it. In good shape.”
Ole [Gunnar Solskjaer], have you actually spoken to him since you came in?
“Yeah, yeah I’ve spoken to him. We’re close, we’ve been through a lot together. He’s been fully supportive, as you’d expect. He’s some man, I respect him an awful lot. He wished us all the best, and he was happy that we got the right result.”
Did you pick his brains?
Game against Man City, very proactive. Arsenal, can you do the same, or do you need to be more passive, bit more reactive, to go toe to toe with them at the Emirates?
“It’s playing to what we think the game needs…”
Which is?
“We’ll have to wait and see! As I said, they’re a good team, and City’s a good team. Attacking-wise, they’ve got different ways of… You know, the whole good width, you attack the box, and cover the width of the box very well, they ask questions with different ways of entering the box, down the sides, side crosses… They’re very well organised, well-drilled, you can see that. I thought we defended the box – when we had to – particularly well last week. We didn’t have to defend the box as long as people may have expected. I think we kept the game in good places for what we wanted to, and credit to the boys for that. Every game is different, there’s an element of that. It’s never the same, even when you come to half-time, you’ve had a good performance for 45 minutes. I’m never one that likes to say “Same again”, because it’s never ever the same again, you’ve got to build on it. It won’t be copy and paste, I think there are new elements that need to come into it, we need to be ready, we need to be at our best. And if we’re at our best, we’re there, we feel we’ve got a good chance.”
“I think, friendships, you have conversations… I’ve got a lot of friends in places that I can pick on if I need to. I’m not that one that bothers a lot of people to be honest, but… He’s certainly there if ever I need.”
Game against Man City, very proactive. Arsenal, can you do the same, or do you need to be more passive, bit more reactive, to go toe to toe with them at the Emirates?
“It’s playing to what we think the game needs…”
Which is?
“We’ll have to wait and see! As I said, they’re a good team, and City’s a good team. Attacking-wise, they’ve got different ways of… You know, the whole good width, you attack the box, and cover the width of the box very well, they ask questions with different ways of entering the box, down the sides, side crosses… They’re very well organised, well-drilled, you can see that. I thought we defended the box – when we had to – particularly well last week. We didn’t have to defend the box as long as people may have expected. I think we kept the game in good places for what we wanted to, and credit to the boys for that. Every game is different, there’s an element of that. It’s never the same, even when you come to half-time, you’ve had a good performance for 45 minutes. I’m never one that likes to say “Same again”, because it’s never ever the same again, you’ve got to build on it. It won’t be copy and paste, I think there are new elements that need to come into it, we need to be ready, we need to be at our best. And if we’re at our best, we’re there, we feel we’ve got a good chance.”
Patrick Dorgu has been doing really well recently, do you think his long-term future lies on the wing? Or more as a traditional full-back?
Casemiro’s departure, deep midfielder, should be an area of recruitment. Fans feel like we’ve missed a Carrick-style midfielder…
“Probably were not saying that when I was playing though, were they?” [laughs]
Can you be involved in that process in recruiting that type of midfielder?
“Yeah, I’m certainly in this position to do that. I think making decisions for the club moving forward, whatever that may be, I’m fully committed to that. Naturally, as a midfielder, there’s a big tendency towards that anyway, but taking that away from it and now being where I am, in the position that I am, certainly it’ll be part of those conversations moving forward. It’s important we get the next steps right, in terms of moving forward as a team, as a squad, and putting the right things in place. I’ll be part of that in the right way.”
“I think he can do both. To be honest, he was immense last week, his work rate and the way he plays the position, but the threat, constant threat, the goal is the obvious one, but his general play was something we’re really pleased about. So I wouldn’t want to pin him down, because I think he can do both, certainly attacking-wise, and that threat, he was pretty impressive last week.”
Casemiro’s departure, deep midfielder, should be an area of recruitment. Fans feel like we’ve missed a Carrick-style midfielder…
“Probably were not saying that when I was playing though, were they?” [laughs]
Can you be involved in that process in recruiting that type of midfielder?
“Yeah, I’m certainly in this position to do that. I think making decisions for the club moving forward, whatever that may be, I’m fully committed to that. Naturally, as a midfielder, there’s a big tendency towards that anyway, but taking that away from it and now being where I am, in the position that I am, certainly it’ll be part of those conversations moving forward. It’s important we get the next steps right, in terms of moving forward as a team, as a squad, and putting the right things in place. I’ll be part of that in the right way.”