Every word: Part two of Carrick's press conference
Michael Carrick says it’s a fresh start for his Manchester United players, whom he believes can grow as a collective by feeding off the energy that comes with focusing on their strengths.
Our new boss explained that to reporters during the second part of his pre-match press conference, ahead of Saturday’s Premier League visit from Manchester City.
The 12:30 GMT kick-off at Old Trafford is Carrick’s first game back at the club, and a big chance for his Reds side to make a positive start to this new chapter, with Pep Guardiola's men coming to M16 for a mouthwatering derby encounter.
In the countdown to it, you can see every word from section two of Michael’s media briefing here…
The 12:30 GMT kick-off at Old Trafford is Carrick’s first game back at the club, and a big chance for his Reds side to make a positive start to this new chapter, with Pep Guardiola's men coming to M16 for a mouthwatering derby encounter.
In the countdown to it, you can see every word from section two of Michael’s media briefing here…
Press conference part two: United v City Video
Press conference part two: United v City
PRESS CONFERENCE | Hear more from Michael Carrick, before Saturday’s Manchester derby…
You've been appointed as head coach to the end of the season. There's no mention of interim or caretaker. Have there been any discussions with you and the people here regarding the role beyond this season?
“No, not at the moment. I think we're realistic as well, and where we are at the moment, why I'm here and the role I've got to do. That doesn't change how we go about it in the day-to-day and the focus and making decisions for the long-term kind of strategy of the group and the playing squad and whatever that kind of adds on extra and the layers after that. I think I'm certainly not coming in thinking it's a time where week-to-week, game-to-game, we've got to get through it and we've got to tick each one off. I think we're on a plan to improve and improve beyond this season, and however that looks at this moment, all I can control is what we give the players and how we kind of create the atmosphere around the group. So that's the main focus and then we'll see what happens after that.”
You said to MUTV on Wednesday how much this club means to you. I think obviously we know how much this club means to you. If the chance came to carry on at the end of the season, would you be interested in doing that?
“Listen, I'm here because I enjoy the role and I wanted to do it and I'm hugely privileged to be in this position. So that's kind of where I am. It doesn't change whatever the term, whatever the length, I'm here to do my best. Hopefully, I've got a lot of experience of what it takes and where we need to get to and I'll try and help with that.”
“No, not at the moment. I think we're realistic as well, and where we are at the moment, why I'm here and the role I've got to do. That doesn't change how we go about it in the day-to-day and the focus and making decisions for the long-term kind of strategy of the group and the playing squad and whatever that kind of adds on extra and the layers after that. I think I'm certainly not coming in thinking it's a time where week-to-week, game-to-game, we've got to get through it and we've got to tick each one off. I think we're on a plan to improve and improve beyond this season, and however that looks at this moment, all I can control is what we give the players and how we kind of create the atmosphere around the group. So that's the main focus and then we'll see what happens after that.”
You said to MUTV on Wednesday how much this club means to you. I think obviously we know how much this club means to you. If the chance came to carry on at the end of the season, would you be interested in doing that?
“Listen, I'm here because I enjoy the role and I wanted to do it and I'm hugely privileged to be in this position. So that's kind of where I am. It doesn't change whatever the term, whatever the length, I'm here to do my best. Hopefully, I've got a lot of experience of what it takes and where we need to get to and I'll try and help with that.”
You were here obviously four-and-a-bit years ago now in a similar role, albeit short term. I think to a lot of fans, the kind of wider picture of the club feels the same, feels like no progress has been made, there's been managers come and go since then, there's partly new ownership in, the fans are still protesting against them. I know your role is short term here, but how do you go about uniting a club where it kind of feels that everyone's on a different page at the moment? And, I think to the fans, it kind of feels a bit soulless and going nowhere. How can you kind of make an influence on that?
“I certainly don't think it's soulless. I think there's a magic around this place. I feel it almost straight away coming into the building, coming in and around it. I've obviously been around it for quite some time and then missed a little window, but I think there's a magic around this place. You can't help but feel that. Results and sometimes, from the outside, things look a little bit different, but it certainly doesn't feel majorly different on the inside, I have to say that. Part of my role and the responsibility is shaping what we want to look like going forward as a group, and what happens on the pitch and the tactical side and the performances is one thing, but certainly the culture as well and how we think, how we act, how we behave, what it means to us to be here. That's something that is part of my responsibility to spread in the right way.”
When we spoke to Darren [Fletcher] on Sunday, he was talking about the players feeling a little fragile in terms of their confidence at the moment. What have you and your staff done this week to try and rebuild that confidence?
“Obviously, I think a lot of confidence comes from… I think it's funny confidence actually because you can sometimes get it from a little kind of moment or you can get a little situation, all of a sudden, it kind of sparks you and that’s sport, top-level sport. We've seen it throughout in every sport, when you're confident and you're in the zone and everything kind of happens a little bit slower but everything's really clear and you're calm. I think sometimes, when you want something so much and you're so desperate that you can almost over-try, and it over-affects you at times. So, there's that, there's getting the balance of that and, listen, we're here to support the players, we're here to help them and we're here to improve them and we're there by their side to get them through it and, hopefully, they've felt that over the last few days. We've had three days to prepare for the game, but we feel we're in a good place and everyone's looking forward to it.”
The team you inherited from Ruben really struggled to put any sort of winning runs together. I think it was only when they beat Liverpool, Sunderland and Brighton in October, it's the only time they've ever won back-to-back games in the Premier League. How are you going to go about sort of tackling that? Because obviously the challenge is to get into Europe, you're going to need to win some games, but the team has not shown itself capable of sustaining sort of winning runs. How important is it? How are you going to tackle that?
“Yeah, it's a fresh start, and I've got a lot of belief in the group, individually, and collectively. I've got a lot of belief in that, and as I've just said, confidence and a feeling, and things can go in a different direction very quickly, and I've got a lot of belief in the boys. I'm not going to tell you everything about how we're going to do it because I’d be a bit silly to do that, but I think tactically and as a team, what we want to look like and things that we feel can help us and be hugely positive in what we can achieve. I think it’s so half-full, half-empty, it’s what players can't do or the team can't do, we actually forget what they can do, what they're good at and believe in that and work on their strengths and feed off that energy to make you better. There's a lot of players and a lot of teams in the world that can't do things, but that doesn't stop them being successful. So, we need to find that ingredient, and I fully believe we can do that.”
“I certainly don't think it's soulless. I think there's a magic around this place. I feel it almost straight away coming into the building, coming in and around it. I've obviously been around it for quite some time and then missed a little window, but I think there's a magic around this place. You can't help but feel that. Results and sometimes, from the outside, things look a little bit different, but it certainly doesn't feel majorly different on the inside, I have to say that. Part of my role and the responsibility is shaping what we want to look like going forward as a group, and what happens on the pitch and the tactical side and the performances is one thing, but certainly the culture as well and how we think, how we act, how we behave, what it means to us to be here. That's something that is part of my responsibility to spread in the right way.”
When we spoke to Darren [Fletcher] on Sunday, he was talking about the players feeling a little fragile in terms of their confidence at the moment. What have you and your staff done this week to try and rebuild that confidence?
“Obviously, I think a lot of confidence comes from… I think it's funny confidence actually because you can sometimes get it from a little kind of moment or you can get a little situation, all of a sudden, it kind of sparks you and that’s sport, top-level sport. We've seen it throughout in every sport, when you're confident and you're in the zone and everything kind of happens a little bit slower but everything's really clear and you're calm. I think sometimes, when you want something so much and you're so desperate that you can almost over-try, and it over-affects you at times. So, there's that, there's getting the balance of that and, listen, we're here to support the players, we're here to help them and we're here to improve them and we're there by their side to get them through it and, hopefully, they've felt that over the last few days. We've had three days to prepare for the game, but we feel we're in a good place and everyone's looking forward to it.”
The team you inherited from Ruben really struggled to put any sort of winning runs together. I think it was only when they beat Liverpool, Sunderland and Brighton in October, it's the only time they've ever won back-to-back games in the Premier League. How are you going to go about sort of tackling that? Because obviously the challenge is to get into Europe, you're going to need to win some games, but the team has not shown itself capable of sustaining sort of winning runs. How important is it? How are you going to tackle that?
“Yeah, it's a fresh start, and I've got a lot of belief in the group, individually, and collectively. I've got a lot of belief in that, and as I've just said, confidence and a feeling, and things can go in a different direction very quickly, and I've got a lot of belief in the boys. I'm not going to tell you everything about how we're going to do it because I’d be a bit silly to do that, but I think tactically and as a team, what we want to look like and things that we feel can help us and be hugely positive in what we can achieve. I think it’s so half-full, half-empty, it’s what players can't do or the team can't do, we actually forget what they can do, what they're good at and believe in that and work on their strengths and feed off that energy to make you better. There's a lot of players and a lot of teams in the world that can't do things, but that doesn't stop them being successful. So, we need to find that ingredient, and I fully believe we can do that.”
You just mentioned the word culture there before. Lots of managers come in and when they talk, they use that word. Often we talk about the culture that you had as a player and the team under Sir Alex, I know you've only been here a short time, but what have you made of the culture here? Do you think it's an issue that maybe needs to be addressed, and how do you kind of go about doing that?
“No, I've been back in this role for three days and there's nothing that I've looked at and that's really red flagged anything I have to say. The players have been really good, willing to listen, willing to learn, wanting to do better, wanting to do better for a club, wanting to put on better performances. That's the feeling I've got, the support staff and everyone's desperate to do well, as I've just said, and we need to channel that. We need to channel that and of course, the culture is something that is what happens day-to-day. It's not something I sit to you and talk about in a few words here and there and it makes it sound good. It's how you behave and what you end up doing day-to-day. So that's something we've got to build, but certainly at the moment I feel it's a good place and the training ground's been a really good place and we'll need to make Old Trafford tomorrow an even better place, with the help of the supporters as well. And that's the magic of what we're trying to do.”
Given this is Manchester United, you've got 17 games left in the Premier League. You're not in any other competition. You know what the club is all about. Would it be a failure not to qualify for the Champions League? Would you feel, personally, I’ve failed there?
“I think we've got to be careful about what is success and what is failure in terms of so cleanly like that. I think it's not as clear-cut as that. I think success is building and improving, and there's no getting away from the fact that this club should be there. We can talk all day about where you should be, but it's how you're going to get there, you've got to earn it and you've got to prove that you're good enough to get there. So that's the challenge for us, and it always has been that, and that doesn't change. It doesn't change the motivation, the drive, and it doesn't change the expectation, and it shouldn't change the expectation. Certainly, there's a bit of realism from me, but I'm definitely not going in [thinking] it's all or nothing, but we need to improve and we need to keep up the league.”
Is that not an ideal carrot though for these players? You could rescue this season here and get Champions League football because I think everyone in this room, I'm watching from the outside and saying, you know, that's a result, considering all the turmoil?
“No, there's a lot to play for and there's a huge encouragement, there's a huge positivity from me and around the group that I know it's the league we've got to focus on. It's a carrot, of course it is, but it doesn't mean it's all or nothing, that's the thing. It doesn't have to be so extreme, when we need to build and we need to take steps. I'm not here to say everything's going to be perfect, that's not realistic either, but we'll take small steps and we need to keep going in that direction.”
“No, I've been back in this role for three days and there's nothing that I've looked at and that's really red flagged anything I have to say. The players have been really good, willing to listen, willing to learn, wanting to do better, wanting to do better for a club, wanting to put on better performances. That's the feeling I've got, the support staff and everyone's desperate to do well, as I've just said, and we need to channel that. We need to channel that and of course, the culture is something that is what happens day-to-day. It's not something I sit to you and talk about in a few words here and there and it makes it sound good. It's how you behave and what you end up doing day-to-day. So that's something we've got to build, but certainly at the moment I feel it's a good place and the training ground's been a really good place and we'll need to make Old Trafford tomorrow an even better place, with the help of the supporters as well. And that's the magic of what we're trying to do.”
Given this is Manchester United, you've got 17 games left in the Premier League. You're not in any other competition. You know what the club is all about. Would it be a failure not to qualify for the Champions League? Would you feel, personally, I’ve failed there?
“I think we've got to be careful about what is success and what is failure in terms of so cleanly like that. I think it's not as clear-cut as that. I think success is building and improving, and there's no getting away from the fact that this club should be there. We can talk all day about where you should be, but it's how you're going to get there, you've got to earn it and you've got to prove that you're good enough to get there. So that's the challenge for us, and it always has been that, and that doesn't change. It doesn't change the motivation, the drive, and it doesn't change the expectation, and it shouldn't change the expectation. Certainly, there's a bit of realism from me, but I'm definitely not going in [thinking] it's all or nothing, but we need to improve and we need to keep up the league.”
Is that not an ideal carrot though for these players? You could rescue this season here and get Champions League football because I think everyone in this room, I'm watching from the outside and saying, you know, that's a result, considering all the turmoil?
“No, there's a lot to play for and there's a huge encouragement, there's a huge positivity from me and around the group that I know it's the league we've got to focus on. It's a carrot, of course it is, but it doesn't mean it's all or nothing, that's the thing. It doesn't have to be so extreme, when we need to build and we need to take steps. I'm not here to say everything's going to be perfect, that's not realistic either, but we'll take small steps and we need to keep going in that direction.”
How have Carrick’s first few days been?
ArticleThe boss checked in with journalists at Friday’s press conference – read every word from part one here.
Just a final one, I completely respect your record in the Championship at Middlesbrough. You've only managed at this level for three games, very successful. You did that for two wins and a draw. What makes you very confident you can handle this job, because at Manchester United, you've not really had the length or the breadth of the experience you're about to have in the number of games?
“I've never really thought about it like that. I just feel comfortable. I feel at home. I'm not comfortable in the fact where it's nice and everything's great. It's comfortable in the fact that I'm happy in my skin, happy in this role. I know what it takes. I've worked closely with Jose [Mourinho] and Ole [Gunnar Solskjaer] for some time, so, when I took over, it felt quite a natural step. I understand the questions and that's how it is, the old question until you achieve something. So that's how it is, but all I can say is I feel at home, I feel I'm ready and really looking forward to getting to work.”
At the end of the previous head coach's reign, Ruben certainly ended in some tension with the hierarchy, with Jason [Wilcox] over systems and selection, shall we say. What's your thoughts on your role now as head coach in terms of selections and have you had any conversations around the type of team they want to see?
“Nothing different to any other team in terms of putting players on the pitch that we think will fit in a good balance and depending what game, who we're playing against, what it looks like, where's our strength. That's it, that's on me and my coaches and the staff to put that together. I'm flexible at times, as I said, we've been in here three days, so it's a big game. Playing against a tough team, obviously a very good team, playing well. So, there's challenges within that. But yeah, it's obviously up to me and my staff to find that formula.”
“I've never really thought about it like that. I just feel comfortable. I feel at home. I'm not comfortable in the fact where it's nice and everything's great. It's comfortable in the fact that I'm happy in my skin, happy in this role. I know what it takes. I've worked closely with Jose [Mourinho] and Ole [Gunnar Solskjaer] for some time, so, when I took over, it felt quite a natural step. I understand the questions and that's how it is, the old question until you achieve something. So that's how it is, but all I can say is I feel at home, I feel I'm ready and really looking forward to getting to work.”
At the end of the previous head coach's reign, Ruben certainly ended in some tension with the hierarchy, with Jason [Wilcox] over systems and selection, shall we say. What's your thoughts on your role now as head coach in terms of selections and have you had any conversations around the type of team they want to see?
“Nothing different to any other team in terms of putting players on the pitch that we think will fit in a good balance and depending what game, who we're playing against, what it looks like, where's our strength. That's it, that's on me and my coaches and the staff to put that together. I'm flexible at times, as I said, we've been in here three days, so it's a big game. Playing against a tough team, obviously a very good team, playing well. So, there's challenges within that. But yeah, it's obviously up to me and my staff to find that formula.”
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