Michael Carrick has played down Wayne Rooney's public backing for him to become Manchester United's permanent manager, insisting he is not listening to the noise surrounding his future. Rooney, a former team-mate, said on BBC Radio 5 Live that Carrick should '100 per cent' get the job after United's 3-1 win over Aston Villa on Sunday.
Carrick's side moved six points clear of sixth-placed Chelsea in the Premier League, strengthening their push for a Champions League spot. However, the interim boss remained unfazed by the speculation. 'There's not that much noise, is there? I don't mean Wayne, just in general. It's only noise if you listen to it,' Carrick said. 'It doesn't affect me one bit. I'm in this position at the moment, doing the best I can, and we keep pushing for more.'
Bruno Fernandes was instrumental in the victory, becoming only the third Manchester United player in the Premier League era to reach 100 goals and 100 assists, joining Rooney and Ryan Giggs. He set up goals for Casemiro and Matheus Cunha either side of a Ross Barkley equaliser, with Benjamin Sesko adding a third. Carrick praised Fernandes, saying, 'Bruno has done it for a long period of time now. In the big moments, making a difference whether he's scoring or creating, he's normally around it.'
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery, whose side lost a third consecutive Premier League match, remained optimistic. 'Overall I feel we did good things but it was not enough. We need more, but we are progressing,' he said. 'Today the result is not changing, but we competed and this is the way I want to keep it.'
