Michael Carrick said his Manchester United squad are adept at holding each other to account in the second part of his pre-Bournemouth press conference.
Asked whether he has leaders in the dressing room to maintain standards, the boss noted that it's “healthy”
for his players to push each other.
Our head coach also answered questions on Matthijs de Ligt, Bruno Fernandes and whether he ever gets angry, given his calm exterior.
Read, or watch, everything he had to say below...
“Honestly, it's difficult to say. I think it's just because it's taken that much time. Yeah, I can't give you any more on it really. It's one of those things with backs that, sometimes, you think it's alright and then, all of a sudden, it's not quite right. So, we're just kind of being patient and working through it and we'll just have to see. We’ll obviously give him time and try to get him back as quick as we can. But it's really difficult to say. I am not trying to hide anything. Literally, at the moment, we don't know, so we'll have to wait and see.”
It's one of those, I suppose, if he comes back, he’s not quite right, there's a concern that you might be aggravating it, making it a lot worse than it currently is...
“Yeah, it's like any injury, it’s trying to get the balance right. Some are a little bit more straightforward than others. Yeah, kind of it is what it is, really. Yeah, hopefully, listen, he's improving, it's not improving as quick as we all hope, but we'll see how it goes.”
Michael, your record as United manager, some of the counterparts you've beaten, is incredible, really. There are probably Middlesbrough fans looking at that thinking, ‘Wow, we didn't see that coming.’ Is there something about these games and taking on those managers and maybe the tactical shape of games at the very highest level, that you think is more suited to the way you coach?
“Not necessarily. I think we still won a few games in Middlesbrough in the time, it wasn't so bad. No, I get what you're saying. I think, yeah, a little bit on styles, a little bit on teams, a little bit on players, a little bit on moments in time, you know. And I've kind of been around here a long time, so feel I've got an understanding of what it takes really. But yeah, in some ways it's difficult for me to answer that, you know, I just kind of go about the work that we do and we make the decisions, we try to set the team up in a way with the right feeling and the right ideas and what we think's right. And, as of late, it's gone well. Again, it's a real balance between having the confidence in the group and believing in what we're doing is going to be the right thing, but understanding that it doesn't necessarily mean you've cracked it, and getting carried away. So, I'm definitely one for keeping my feet on the ground and understanding that. Some of the games have been fantastic and we've managed to play against some good teams and really some top, top coaches and managed to win. But it's always about the next one, really, and never looking back to what we've just achieved.”
That understanding you mentioned then and understanding the place. Do you think that dates all the way back to your playing days? That it's an advantage for you that you know this club, what it means, what's expected?
“Oh, 100 per cent. I think there's no getting away from that. Playing here for so long and the experiences, I think, definitely has helped me in this situation that I’m in now. For me, that's pretty obvious and I've drawn on those experiences and the feelings of going through moments and what it feels like and how to kind of get through them, what we feel is the best way to get through them. So, without doubt, yeah, it's a massive part. That's a massive part why I'm in this position, you know, because of that. I'm trying to use it as best as I can, for sure.”
I know it's a bit of a frivolous question, but huddles have been quite topical recently. Gary Neville says how awful they were. You never did them during your time in the club, but the team do still do them. What's the reason behind them? I take you're pretty relaxed about it?
“Yeah, to be honest, at that stage, it's up to the players and how they want to go about it, really. I don't get involved in that part of it, really. I'll say my bit, but in the changing room and before kick-off. But in terms of that, if they want to do that and if it helps them, then great. If they felt that actually, we don't want to carry on and do it, then I'm fine with it. Whatever [is best] at that moment. They're on the pitch, you know, it's up to them between them as a group. They've got to go into battle and they've got to go and have that feeling between them, whatever suits them. So, I'm quite calm about what they do at that point.“
And just related to Matthijs’s injury. It seemed like the team struggled a bit in December when him and Harry were out injured. Harry's been key to you, starting in all your games. Obviously, his contract’s up in a few months’ time. Would you want him here still next season?
“Yeah, there’s obviously talks going on in terms of what the squad's going to look like, come the end of the season, and what it looks like after that. Harry's done fantastic for us. I think it's pretty obvious to say that. He's had a big impact on what we've done. So, we'll have to see. I enjoy working with him, I think he's been fantastic for this club and we'll see what comes of that.”
As a manager, either here or at Middlesbrough, do you ever get angry at players?
“Yeah. I’m not going to sit here and get angry with you at this point [laughs] if that's what you're asking. No, I think there's a time and place, you know. Yeah, obviously we're disappointed at times and disappointed with the result in Newcastle, so there's feelings there, without doubt. That's what I'm saying, what I was talking about earlier, I think being calm and the composure around the place, but it's sport, elite performance, so you've got to play with emotion and feeling and sometimes that is a bit more aggressive. It's a bit more intense sometimes. So, you’ve got to manage that. And if I don't manage that, then you can't always expect the players just to create the right emotion. So yeah, certainly it is part of our role.”
I mean, the reason I ask is you seem so calm and you also obviously were as a player. When you do [get angry] is it almost like a calculated decision then?
“Well, no, I think it's that drive, you know, ultimately, and it comes out in different ways. So, some of the players will be a little bit quieter. It doesn't mean they don't care, they might not show it, but there's something inside. There's a drive, maybe there's a stubbornness at times to want to prove to yourself as much as anything, certainly. And I think anyone, to play at a certain level, you've got to have that. You've got to have that confidence in yourself and that belief to ultimately pull it off. But the emotion's part of it. I wouldn't say I've kind of put on a performance, I think I go with how I feel at the time and certain times it's a little bit louder, maybe, sometimes a bit more feeling, other times it's calm. It depends what the group want and need at certain points as well. And I guess that's the ultimate coaching and managing, really, to get the lads in the right frame of mind.”
You’ve had about two months with these players. I think in that time you're top of the form table in the Premier League and I imagine that the ultimate aim for this club is to get back challenging for the Premier League title regularly. I'm not expecting you to say we need three players or four players. But how far away do you think this group of players is from being able to challenge the likes of City and Arsenal?
“I think it's always difficult to say because football can flip so much, you know, and maybe people wouldn't expect us to be in this position and in the league position at the moment as being that close. So, it can go from season to season. We’ve seen it in the past, of teams winning leagues and then not, and other teams coming and winning leagues. So, I think we’ve got a good squad. I think we've got a pretty decent balance within the squad. There’s a few, you know, little bits. You always want to improve and progress. And we understand if next season it might look different in terms of games, you know, there’s no getting away from the fact we haven't had loads of games to in different competitions to deal with at this stage. And that's obviously going to go into the thinking of the club moving forward, of how we manage that in terms of numbers and balance and everything like that. But I certainly feel that we've made progress. I think that's the biggest thing. However long that takes, it depends on how well it goes, but certainly at the moment, we feel we’re in a decent position to make other steps.”
You mentioned the word tetchy earlier. There were games, like on Sunday [against Aston Villa], where the team seems to have improved after half-time, when you’ve got hold of them. Have they seen that side of you?
“Yeah, maybe, I suppose. It wasn't [that way at] the weekend. I was really calm, actually. I think there's a time in games where you always want everything to be perfect and great and be ahead and win 2-0 or 3-0 first-half, you know, but it doesn't happen and it hasn't happened. You talk about drawing on experiences, I've played in a lot, I’ve played in some outstanding teams here, where people remember attacking teams that scored loads of goals, that maybe are 0-0 at half time at home when it's being a tight game. So, that's kind of the experience [of mine], pulling on that. I was pretty calm, really. I thought it was a bit of a tight game. I thought there was more in it for us and, in the second half, it kind of proved. So, it doesn't necessarily mean just because it's not totally going, that we all get angry about it. And that's the ‘picking the moment’. But yeah, certainly at times we’ve been a little bit more frustrated or a little bit more animated, but that's how it is.”
Just on De Ligt. Is it possible that if things don't improve the way that you want, would you look at alternative treatment and even maybe surgery?
“I don't want to get into that, at this stage. I think we'll obviously try to do whatever we can to help Matta, I think, and help get him back and kind of whatever that takes. So, we're working through that now at the moment, to be honest, and see. But hopefully he'll be back sooner rather than later and everything will be fine and we can move on.”
When it comes to the squad, have you got players in your squad who will maintain those standards that you set, maybe not call each other out, but kind of make it clear if someone's not pulling their weight? Is that what you like to see as a manager?
“I think it's healthy, you know, to push each other, and it's not a personal thing. I think it's always a case of performance and getting the best out of each other. I've seen players over the years, where they just kind of argue for the sake of argument to fire them both, they fire each other up, so that there's definitely that. And there's no harm in it. And as I said, it's not personal, it’s for the for the good of the team and for the good of each other. So, I've got no issue with that at all.”
Because there's been a few examples of Bruno [Fernandes] doing that in the past. Does he bring that element to the dressing room?
“I think as long as it's meant in the right way. You know, when it's kind of the wrong body language or the negative. If it's coming from the right place and the intention’s to want to do better for everybody and everyone stays positive with it, then I've got no issue with that at all.”