Michael Carrick has dismissed claims from club legend Nicky Butt that he was reluctant to return to management, insisting he feels privileged to lead Manchester United. The response comes as the Red Devils endure a difficult start to the season, with reported dressing room concerns over documentary filming adding to the scrutiny.
Carrick responds to Butt's claims
Speaking on The Good, The Bad & The Football podcast, Butt recalled a conversation with Carrick before he took the United job. Butt said: "I was with Michael before he got the Man United job and spoke to him about management. He went, 'No it's not for me, it's too much. My head's all over the show. I'd only do it for the big job.' The big job is Man United."
When the comments were put to Carrick in a press conference, the United boss said: "I definitely wouldn't be here if that was the case, would I? At this stage. It's the best job I could possibly have. It's the best role I could possibly have. I feel a real privilege of being in this position and a real responsibility, but equally a drive of wanting to make a difference and having success here."
Dressing room concern over All or Nothing
United stars are reportedly concerned that filming for Amazon Prime's All or Nothing series could be hindering their performances. The Red Devils are the latest Premier League club to be the subject of the docuseries, which has previously focused on Arsenal, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur.
The Sun has reported that players are worried that filming is negatively affecting dressing room conversations. It is claimed that the presence of cameras has meant "punches are being pulled" during dressing room debriefs, potentially contributing to the team's struggles.
However, when asked about documentary filming in August, Carrick said: "That's been fine. It's obviously a little bit new, and unique, but the actual day-to-day workings of it, we have that many cameras around anyway that the boys are kind of half-used to it. We've got to work through it, of course, but they've been respectful. It probably seems bigger from the outside than it is day-to-day when we're working in it."
