Michael Carrick begins Friday media conference with 5min 27sec monologue and says he will 'hold that umbrella'
Michael Carrick began his Friday media conference with a 5min 27sec monologue citing Manchester United’s values of “humility”, “resilience” and “earning the right to win”, and said he would “hold that umbrella” so “everyone else” could stay dry. He also said he would “100%” turn United’s form around and did not rule out dropping Bruno Fernandes or stripping him of the captaincy ahead of Bournemouth’s visit on Sunday.
The head coach, whose job is under threat, delivered the speech without being asked a question after a difficult start to the season that has seen United win only two of 11 games and sit 13th in the Premier League. Carrick’s remarks followed events in Como, where a 4-1 Champions League loss prompted Bruno Fernandes to question tactics, and criticism from Lisandro Martínez of director of football Jason Wilcox a week earlier over recruitment. The episode has intensified scrutiny of Carrick’s position and prompted public comments from the coach aimed at the squad and hierarchy.
In the monologue Carrick emphasised standards he wants to see at the club, saying: “We need to respect what it takes to be here, respect what it takes to win, what you have to do to win. I’m not entitled to be here. Entitlement cannot be at this football club. We’re not entitled to win. We’ve won in the past, we’ve got an incredible history, but that doesn’t mean that you’re entitled to just win.”
He invoked the example of former United figures in his appeal to the squad, saying: “Ryan Giggs, arguably one of the greatest to play for this club, it was never about Ryan Giggs, it was about Manchester United. Wayne Rooney was top goalscorer of this football club. His biggest thing was playing for the team, sacrificing for the team, and what was good for Manchester United. “Sir Alex Ferguson, the best manager of all time, the greatest for me … his main priority was Manchester United. Going back to Sir Matt [Busby], Sir Bobby [Charlton], the resilience was beyond belief of what they showed and the way they rebuilt this football club [after the Munich disaster of 1958].”
Asked about the possibility of reversing the club’s form, Carrick replied: “One hundred per cent, yeah,” and confirmed he had spoken with both hierarchy and players about the crisis: “There’s always conversations going on. It’s pretty obvious how we’re all feeling. The responsibility for me to be in this position is to lead.” He framed his willingness to take responsibility in personal terms: “I’ll hold that umbrella for me to get wet and for everyone else to stay dry. That’s the position I’m in, and it’s a privileged position.”
Carrick addressed the fallout from the Como defeat and Fernandes’ public questioning of tactics, saying he had not ruled out selecting or disciplining the midfielder for the upcoming fixture: “I’ll always do what’s best for the football club,” he said. “The most important thing for me is the team, first and foremost – the squad, the dynamics in the squad.”
The coach, a highly decorated United player for 12 years until 2018, also set a clear expectation for standards within the squad, saying: “If you don’t, this is not the place for you,” and rejecting suggestions of internal divisions: “It’s not divided. We just need to get back to doing what we do best, and we will.”
Bournemouth visit on Sunday is the next fixture in which Carrick indicated Fernandes’ playing and captaincy status could be reconsidered, with United having won only two of their 11 matches and lying 13th in the Premier League.