Michael Carrick has responded to Elliot Anderson's 'Kings of Manchester' comment, laughing off the phrase while acknowledging the shift in expectations at Old Trafford. The Manchester United manager was reminded of the City midfielder's signing-on remarks ahead of Sunday's derby.
"I'm definitely not using that phrase, at all, no," Carrick laughed. Anderson, who joined City in a £116million move in July, said he was looking forward to facing United, adding: "It's been one of the biggest derbies in the world. And for as long as I've known, City have been the Kings of Manchester." City's official website capitalised the K in Kings, adding extra spice to the fixture.
Derby record and City's dominance
Carrick's first game in his permanent stint as United manager was a 2-0 victory over Pep Guardiola's City at Old Trafford. In the last 20 Premier League meetings, City have won 10, United seven, with three draws. However, City's overall superiority has been emphatic—United last finished above City in the 2012-13 season, when Anderson was ten years old.
Since then, City have won seven Premier League titles, three FA Cups, seven League Cups, a Champions League and a Club World Cup. United have won two FA Cups, two League Cups and a Europa League in that period.
Carrick's vision for the future
Carrick understands Anderson's perspective. "We are humble enough and realistic enough to know where we have come from in recent history," he said. "It is good, in a way, that expectation has shifted. All of a sudden, there are different things asked of us to maybe what was asked of us a few months ago."
"We are in the Champions League - that in itself shows the steps we have made. Now, it is about the next stage. We need to, and want to be better, and we want to be challenging more. That's where we're at. It doesn't mean that we can't and we won't. It means we still hope, we believe, and we expect that we can be and we should be, but I understand the bigger picture."
Looking ahead to the derby
City hold a five-point advantage over United in the Premier League table. Carrick was bullish ahead of the meeting with Enzo Maresca's men, praising City's professionalism against Porto. "They are a very good team. We know we have to put in a good performance and do a lot of things right to get a result," he said.
"I think we have built up confidence over a period of time. I feel like we are getting better all the time and that helps us. It is a big game, it is an important game, there is a lot riding on it. We are looking forward to it. We have got a short space of time to recover and prepare for it, but we will make the most of it."
