Michael Carrick ‘not surprised’ to still be in Manchester United role
Head coach says he does not ‘need assurances from anyone’ as he prepares for Chelsea clash.
Michael Carrick claims he is not surprised to still be in charge of Manchester United as the under-fire head coach prepares to lead the faltering side to Chelsea.
The Red Devils’ poor run reached a nadir over the last week as calamitous 4-1 loss at Champions League upstarts Como was compounded by Sunday’s 3-0 surrender to Bournemouth.
United’s seven-point return marks their worst start to a season since 1986 and their eight-match winless run in all competitions is their worst since 2015, leaving Carrick’s position hanging by a thread.
The club kept tight-lipped over his future after meetings on Monday and the following day surprised many onlookers as club sources confirmed he will stay in charge for Saturday’s vital match away to Chelsea.
“I don’t need any assurances from anyone,” Carrick said of his future.
“I totally get the position, I understand the job, I understand the responsibilities, I understand what comes with that, so I really don’t need any assurances from anyone in that regard.”
Asked if he was surprised to still be United head coach, Carrick said: “No. No, I am here to do my job.
“I am here to do the best for the team, and I am desperate to make us better and improve things, so I’m not surprised, no.
“I said after the game I didn’t expect anything. I was literally dealing with the performance, the result, what it was.
“There was no hiding the fact dynamics and the atmosphere in the stadium was a little bit different to normal and going through that and digesting that.
“Purely my mind was ‘what do we need to do to improve things?’”
Carrick received a supportive reception from the Stretford End as the group headed down the tunnel after the Bournemouth loss, with fans focusing their fury on the club’s ownership, hierarchy and players.
The issues clearly run far deeper than the head coach, yet it still feels a matter of when rather than if the United decide to move on from him, with Eddie Howe and Julian Nagelsmann highly thought of.
But Carrick is ignoring the outside noise as he looks to rally a group that head to Chelsea searching for a much-needed win on Saturday.
“I don’t see it, really,” said Carrick, who confirmed Bruno Fernandes will remain as captain. “I see the things that I need to see. I don’t look for it. It doesn’t really help in any way.
“I’ve said it before, I care about what the supporters think. I care about what it feels like in the stadium, and them travelling for games, to come and see us and support us.
“I care about what we give them, and what we offer them, and what they see. I genuinely don’t take any notice of anything else.
“I know this job, I know what it brings, I know what we need to do really to be better. I don’t need anyone else to tell me anything else.”