Michael Carrick did not wait for a question before launching into a passionate summary of Manchester United's current situation at his pre-match press conference on Friday. The head coach spoke for five minutes and 36 seconds before taking any questions from journalists.
Carrick opened by acknowledging the team's recent struggles, describing Wednesday's defeat to Como as a bad night that hurt a lot. He said it was unacceptable for the team to play that way and that he was hurt to see how the game panned out.
Supporters and Responsibility
He highlighted the supporters' efforts, noting they spent time and money to attend Wednesday's match. Carrick said his responsibility is to put a team on the pitch that represents the club and supporters, and that they can be proud of the identity shown. He admitted the team has gone away from that in certain games recently.
The manager stressed the importance of the connection with supporters, recalling the five months of relative success at the start of the year. He said the vigour, intensity, enjoyment and passion felt during that period is something the team needs to get back to, and he fully believes they will.
Club Values and History
Carrick spoke about the foundation and values of the football club, mentioning humility, being humble, hard work and being proud to live up to those values. He referenced the resilience shown throughout the club's history, including bouncing back from adversity, comebacks, late goals and sustaining success.
He cited examples from the club's past, including Ryan Giggs, Wayne Rooney, Sir Alex Ferguson, Sir Matt and Sir Bobby. Carrick said Manchester United is always bigger than any single individual, and that these figures prioritised the club above themselves.
No Entitlement
Carrick stated there is no entitlement at the football club and that the team is not entitled to win. He said winning takes hard work, sacrifice and investing yourself in the club, even doing things that may not be so nice but are done for each other.
He concluded by saying the team has lost its way a little bit but is totally confident they will get it back, emphasising the importance of respecting the football club and what it takes to be there.
