Interim Manchester United manager Michael Carrick has been speaking to the media ahead of the Red Devils’ Premier League clash against arch rivals Liverpool on Sunday.
United need a win to clinch Champions League football next season, although a draw might be enough if Brighton don’t get three points against Newcastle on Saturday.
Injury News
Carrick was first asked about the fitness of Matheus Cunha, Matthijs de Ligt and Luke Shaw.
“No, we’re in good shape really,” he answered. “Matheus has done a little bit of work so we’re hopeful, we’re not sure but we’re hopeful. So obviously Matta’s still a little bit further, he’s not involved in the game but other than that, yeah, we’re in good shape.”
On Kobbie Mainoo’s new deal
The next reporter asked “obviously yesterday the club announced Kobbie Mainoo signed his new deal till 2031. How big a boost is that to the club? And I saw Jason Wilcox describe him as one of the most naturally gifted young footballers in the world. What’s your take on him?”
Carrick replied:
“Yeah, I’ve been hugely impressed with Kobbie since I’ve been here. I’ve known him quite some time and in different capacities, but certainly been aware of him for a long time. And he epitomises this football club, you know, young players coming through the academy, living, living, breathing the club and coming through with real talent. I’ve seen what he’s doing, the last couple of games particularly, I think he’s been fantastic and the natural thing and the evolution is to obviously sign a new contract. So everyone’s over the moon with that, including me, because I think he deserves it.”
The BBC’s Simon Stone then asked:
“When we spoke to you a couple of weeks ago about Leeds, we spoke about the rivalry, and you’ve not played that often against them. Clearly you’ve played quite often against Liverpool. Would you still regard it as the biggest game for Manchester United, no matter where the clubs are in the league?”
The boss answered:
“Certainly one of my favourite games, yeah, without doubt. I think it’s a standout game. I think there’s obviously big games and big rivalries that we have with other teams, but certainly this one is right up there in the history, the ups and downs the past has produced in these type of games, and the excitement and entertainment, and the emotion, which is a huge part of it. It makes it a really special game.”
Stone asked “If you think about the game, what thing do you think of first?”
“It’s just that edge and that competition, really, and irrespective of league positions over the years, of who’s been on top at certain times or whatever, it’s never really changed the feeling of the game and the emotion and the supporters,” Carrick answered. “And really appreciating what it means to the supporters, I think we have to do that. It’s just a special game, you know, to be part of, and obviously to come out on top is one of the best feelings you’ll get.”
The subject then moved back to Mainoo’s new deal.
“He hadn’t started a Premier League game until your return,” the reporter noted. “I just wondered, putting football aside, what was it like to first talk to him when you came back? Because I imagine he probably wasn’t full of confidence having not played a lot of football, maybe having that first dip of the early part of his career. So what was that like with Kobbie the person rather than Kobbie as a footballer?”
The Wallsend man replied:
“Like all the players, I think trying to get that connection and understanding and building relationships, certainly understanding what it had looked like for Kobbie over the last two, three years and the ups and the downs and the big highs and some challenging times and letting him thrive, just giving him that platform to go and be himself.”
“And I think he’s evolved, he’s improving all the time. I think you can see that the more responsibility, the more confidence, the more belief he keeps adding to his game, and he’s certainly done that. But yeah, just giving him that platform and that opportunity to go and be the best version, and he’s done fantastic with it. There’s more to come, there’s loads more to come. I keep saying that for some time because he’s such a young man, you know, but he’s in a great spot at the moment.”
Asked what he thinks Mainoo could achieve by the time his new contract expires, Carrick answered:
“Well, hopefully he’s here for a long time and he’s part of successful teams that win things, win trophies. It has to be the aim. It’s not going to be easy, it’s not going to be straightforward, but that’s got to be the challenge and that’s got to be the aim of Kobbie, is to be the best version of himself and keep pushing, keep improving. But certainly having a platform of a team and, and a football club that’s in a good place to keep pushing forward as well, and we want to be competing for the biggest of trophies, and we’ve done it in the past and we need to do it again.”
Squad depth
Carrick was then asked if he thinks “the squad is deep enough and big enough to compete on maybe four fronts next year and play 60 games rather than 40?”
He replied:
“Well, it’s certainly a different challenge to what we’ve had over the last three or four months. It’s a natural one. I think it’s where we want to be, so it’s a real positive if that is the case. If we get in the position that we want to finish in the league to be able to do that. And obviously evolving all the time, you know, I think always trying to improve, always trying to be stronger, whether that’s quality, whether that’s depth, whether that’s the makeup of the squad, the balance of the squad, the balance of the team, constantly pushing to move forward really.”
Casemiro’s longevity
Jamie Jackson then asked “you played central midfield for this club until you were sort of 36, 37. Casemiro’s now 33, 34. What’s the key to doing it as you get a little bit older? Why has Casemiro been so good this year? And also, do you actually give him any advice, or you just don’t need to because he is quite an accomplished player?”
The manager responded:
“Yeah, it’s quite interesting in terms of how much you give certain players. Even younger players, you think sometimes you need to help them a lot and give them a lot. Other times you actually— a little bit like the Kobbie scenario really, of knowing when to come off and just let them develop and let them thrive.”
“There’s a little bit certain players want more than others. And then there’s the stage when there’s a lot of experience and you’re kind of crossing the 30 mark and you’re in them stages. Players are a lot of the time a little bit what they are and trusting them to know themselves as well and speaking to them on a level really where there’s an understanding there.”
“And certainly with Case, that’s been the case of knowing what he’s good at, what he can bring to the team, trying to play to his strengths if anything. And having that real trust in his experience and the level that he has. And to play for so long at such a level, it takes a lot. It takes a lot of sacrifice. It takes a lot of work.”
“It’s not easy. That was something I was personally proud of, sustaining it for a period of time. And certain players have different types of careers. There’s big spikes and maybe a bit of a dip. Some players are a bit more steady. But to do what he’s done over such a long period of time takes a lot of credit. Well, it takes a lot of work and a lot of credit from everyone for doing what he has.”
The boss was then asked what it would mean to finish ahead of Liverpool this season.
“Yeah, I just think this probably shows the improvements of the group really and getting stronger and then to be coming into this game in such a good position on the back of good results and trying to achieve and moving forward,” he replied. “So I’m fully aware of the situation in the league and how close it is between us, but that’s not something really we’ve focused on going into this game. I think it’s a one-off game. I think they’ve got some terrific players, they’re a good team, they won the league last year, and obviously we respect everything that goes into the game. So we’re treating it as that, as a one-off game. The league position is what it is, but Sunday’s a whole different ball game.”
The next reporter asked “what does it say about the respective standings of yourselves and Liverpool and the enduring global appeal of both clubs that even though you’re not going for the title, even though it’s between City and Arsenal, this is still the standout game, the biggest game, and it’ll be watched around the world by tens of millions of fans. What does that say about the two clubs?”
He answered:
“First of all, it’s a real privilege for all of us to be involved in it, in whatever capacity. And I think that’s the beauty of football though, in the end, we all get wound up at times in different ways about what’s going on week to week from club to club and the ups and downs. But talking about a career as an individual, of sustaining a career, but to sustain a level of performance over a period of time for each football club. And then there’s a way of how you do it as well and what the standards look like, what it means, what the behaviours and what you stand for as a football club. It’s two incredible, incredible football clubs. And to be so close together in so many ways, titles and geographical, it’s not, not far away. To have such an impact for us over such a period of time is quite special, you know, and I think we all appreciate that.”
The embargoed section of the press conference will be released just after 10.30pm tomorrow evening and will be covered here in full.
Featured image Alex Livesey via Getty Images
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