Manchester United head to the south coast on the final day of the Premier League season, but Michael Carrick insists his players will not be distracted by the beach. The interim head coach, who has just been given a permanent two-year deal, wants a strong finish against Brighton, who are still chasing European qualification.
Carrick's Focus on Responsibility
“We’re certainly conscious of the situation of the game and what’s at stake,” Carrick said. “I think we’ve certainly got a responsibility for that. We’ve managed to put ourselves in a position where we kind of are the position that we are in the league and I’ve said we wanted to finish strong for ourselves as much as anything. We’re approaching the game as we would any other game. There’s a lot to play for, for Brighton, for Bournemouth, for all the other clubs surrounding that, so we’re well aware of that.”
United have already secured third place and Champions League football for next season, but Carrick stressed the importance of finishing on a high note. The club announced his permanent appointment two days before the match, along with new deals for his assistants Steve Holland, Jonathan Woodgate, Jonny Evans, Travis Binnion, and Craig Mawson through 2028.
Praise for Arsenal
Carrick also took time to congratulate Arsenal on winning their first Premier League title in 22 years. “First of all, I’d like to say a huge congratulations to Arsenal and Mikel (Arteta) and the players and all the staff,” he said. “I think when you win the league, you win the league because you deserve it. So much over such a long period of time needs to be done so well in order to win it. So, they’ve been really consistent over a number of years now and the patience and the improvement that they’ve had, they’ve taken steps. I think they’re at a stage now where they deserve to win it. As a football club of course that’s where we want to be. We’ve been there in the past and it doesn’t mean necessarily you’ll always be there again, but that’s certainly as a football club what we’re striving for as soon as possible really.”
Bruno Fernandes Recognition
Meanwhile, United captain Bruno Fernandes was named Premier League player of the season on Saturday, adding to his Football Writers’ Association men’s player of the year award. The Portuguese midfielder created more chances than any other player in the 2025-26 campaign.
