Every word of Michael Carrick and Kobbie Mainoo’s AS Roma pre-match press conference

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Michael Carrick and Kobbie Mainoo have been speaking to the media at the pre-match press conference ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League clash with AS ROma at Old Trafford.

Here is every word of the presser.

Updates on how the dressing room is doing

Reporter: Kobbie, can you just put into words kind of what the season has been like on a personal level, like the players as well, so far?

Mainoo: I mean, of course it’s been a tough season. We’ve not had the results we’ve wanted, but, you know, we need to look forward now. There’s big, big games ahead, and I feel like we’re one win away from changing that.

Reporter: What’s the situation with the unavailable players and Patrick being back as a boost? I’m guessing it’s going to be too soon for him to feature tomorrow or for Villa maybe?

Carrick: Yeah, it was his first day with the group, Pat. So great to have him back. He’s worked, he’s worked ever so hard and to be back with the group. But yeah, he won’t be involved tomorrow, we’ll see how he progresses through the week really, so, but yeah, it’s great to have him back.

Reporter: And just also, obviously this is the— a lot’s happened since the last Champions League home game, a lot to digest, but what gives you confidence that tomorrow can be that win that you’ve been striving for?

Carrick: I know the players, I know what we’re capable of as a team, individually, as a group. I think we’ve showed it in spells, we’ve showed it in bursts, we showed it a little bit the other day. Should have been up in the game and in a really good position going into the second half.

And then obviously, as I’ve already said, the game got away from us. But knowing what we’re capable of when we put it together, and I’ve said it before, you know, that’s always very close. We’ve got to act on it now. We’ve got to make a difference and we’ve got to make a difference quite quickly. But as Kobbie’s already said, we’ve got stwo great games this week. Taking one at a time for sure, but it’s, it’s another great opportunity for us to go and attack the game, look forward to the game and make it a good night for us.

Reporter: Kobbie, when you committed your future to this club, you’re obviously one of the best young players in the country. I’m guessing that you weren’t expecting Manchester United to be where they are at the moment. How frustrating is it for a young player that you’re at a club like this and that finds itself in the kind of turmoil it is?

Mainoo: You know, I’ve been at this club for a long time and I know there’s always going to be ups and downs. You know, it’s never going to be plain sailing and smooth to the top, so you expect bumps. And I thought the best thing about them is you’re able to bounce back from them.

Is Lisandro Martinez and Bruno Fernandes Futures

Reporter: Michael, with Lisandro at the weekend, have you had a chance to review his sending off yet? Have you got any concerns about kind of his headspace at the moment or his commitment to the club? Obviously it seems he wanted to leave in the summer, there’s been a few incidents this year and a loss of form. Are you kind of concerned that maybe his heart isn’t really in getting the club out of this predicament, or are you happy with what you’re seeing?

Carrick: No, I’ve got no concerns about commitment at all. Things happen in football, sometimes you do things, sometimes you make a decision, sometimes you make mistakes, sometimes it goes well for you, you know, but the commitment is not an issue for sure.

Reporter: Hi, Michael. There’ll be people who will look at the job you’ve done in its entirety and hope that you’ll be judged on that and you’ll be here for a good while yet. There’ll be other people who look at the international break coming up, two games to go, and fear for your future beyond that international break. Do you feel like a coach who only has two games left?

Carrick: No, not at all. Listen, I can’t look into the future, you never know what’s going to happen. I don’t know what’s going to happen. That doesn’t change the way I feel. That doesn’t change how we’re preparing for the game tomorrow. And I’m actually really looking forward to the game. Can’t wait for the game tomorrow.

You know, you might think I’m crazy with the results we’ve had and what’s going on, but I genuinely really can’t wait for the game tomorrow. And that’s all I’m focused on, really. I am. Whatever happens is going to happen after that, in whatever direction it goes in. But we want to make it a big night tomorrow night first.

Reporter: Hi, Michael. Just on Lisandro again and also Bruno, their contract situations, they’re into the last year of their contract. There’s a plus-one option. Obviously you’ve got to make a decision in the coming months, otherwise they can have a pre-contract agreement in January. Have decisions been made on whether to extend their stays at all, or is that a decision that’s going to be taken shortly?

Carrick: When anything’s finalised, you know, how discussions go and when everything’s finalised, then sure, we’ll let you know, but at this stage there’s nothing any further to update really.

Relations between manager, players and fans

Reporter: For Kobbie if that’s all right. During this run when it’s not been going particularly well, the manager has been quite protective of the players, at least in public. When you’re in the dressing room, are the players kind of quite appreciative of that, taking a lot of responsibility on himself rather than sticking it on the players in the dressing room?

Mainoo: Yeah, of course, you know, and I feel like our way to repay that is to also be behind the manager on the pitch and off it and and, um, and fight, fight for us and fight for us as a team.

Reporter: Kobbie, just following on from that, you’ve always had a great reception from the fans. You’ll sing the new song again at Chelsea on Saturday, but in the last obviously game at Old Trafford, the Stretford End really, really turned on the players after the final whistle at the end of the game. Have you as players sort of talked about that moment and what you as a group sort of need to do not just to get the team winning again, but to try and get the fan base, you know, back onside, because the atmosphere at times this season at Old Trafford particularly has not been, not been good at all.

Mainoo: You know, in these, in these tough times, you can’t expect the fans 100,000% of the time to be, to be happy and cheering when we’re, when we’re not putting out results, you know, and we owe it to them to, um, to put the results out there for them to cheer again.

Reporter: Hi, Michael. There’s obviously, from the outside, there have obviously been a couple of high-profile players doing high-profile interviews. There’s the red card at the weekend. Do you understand why there might be a perception outside the club that the dressing room maybe lacks discipline or isn’t together and totally behind you? And are you happy with the state of the dressing room in those terms?

Carrick: The dressing room is a good, good place. So perception is a funny thing. You can make things look all sorts of different ways and think about all sorts of different things. I’ve said it before, the commitment of the players to the club, to me, to each other is— I don’t question that at all. We need to play better, we can make better decisions, but commitment’s not a thing at all.

Reporter: Michael, you know what a successful Manchester United looks like from the inside. What is the one thing missing now?

Carrick: There’s never one thing, it’s a number of things. Of course, performances and level of performances go— goes a long way to achieving that. And then on the back of that, results, you know. And it’s never, it’s never one thing. It’s, it’s always a number of things. Sometimes it can be small things, or can be a little bit bigger. But we know we need to get better at certain things.

And as I said, I think the other day against Chelsea, we’ve done a lot of really good things to give us the cance to, to not come away, especially the first half, without any goals for us was, uh, was quite incredible really. And, um, we’ve got to find a way out of this kind of moment really. And we’ve done a lot of good things to help us do that. We just couldn’t quite capitalise on it, but we will do. So we’ve got to keep doing the right things.

Reporter: Obviously winning 12 in 17 must really help you enjoy your job. You say you’re looking forward to the game tomorrow, how do you find enjoyment in your work at the moment? Do you have to change your mindset?

Carrick: Change my mindset from what?

Reporter: Well, it’s more difficult from when it’s 12 in ’17, you probably turned up at half seven in the morning for training, very happy. At the moment it might be a bit more difficult. Do you have to adjust yourself?

Carrick: No, it’s what I am, it’s what I live for, you know. A lot of people could do my job when you’re winning a lot of football games. it’s about finding the solutions, finding the answers, staying strong, leading right, and getting the best out of the players. And we’ve got to keep pushing for that, but it doesn’t change my mindset at all. I love being here, I love working with the players, and the struggles and the challenges, you know, that just drives you on to want it even more.

What has Carrick done for Mainoo?

Reporter: Hi, question for Kobbie from me. When Michael came in, your form I think picked up, you were back in the team. Can you just talk a little bit about what he’s done for you? Might be a bit tricky with him being right next to you, but what he’s done for you as a head coach, what kind of, you know, style does he employ? And then also, in the current predicament that you’re in, have you had strong conversations with your teammates about the results that have been going on and how you can turn that around?

Mainoo: Yeah, I’m very grateful to the boss for putting the trust in me as soon as he came in and putting that belief in me and giving me all the advice that he has, knowing he’s a player who’s been at this club and knows the history of this club and knows what it takes to win. You know, I take those words to heart and I try and apply them every day in training and games.

Reporter: Hi Michael. On the subject of Roma, I guess it’s one that has happy memories for you when you go back to the 7-1 and, you know, all that time ago. I was just wondering, what are your— what do you recall from that game? And was that sort of an illustration of how things can go well on such occasions?

Carrick: It’s a long time ago, eh? Yeah, it was one— it was a magical night. I have to say it was one of the best, one of the best nights, one of the best games, one of the best atmospheres I’ve been fortunate enough to witness. So the fact that I scored a couple, and that was very unusual, gives me great memories. But it was more the actual whole— the emotion of the night, really. I have to say that it was a special one.

Reporter: Kobbie, can I just ask you a bit more about your development over the last 12 months? To pick up on Rory’s point, how do you feel like you’ve kind of grown as a player since Mike and the staff have come in?

Mainoo: I’ve tried to take on more responsibility in the team, you know. I want to impose myself more in games, and they’ve definitely helped me to do that, give me more responsibility with taking the ball and there’s been ups and downs, but I have to continue to try and again, have belief in myself and like I say, impose myself on games even in these tough times.

Reporter: And I know you’ve spoken about ups and downs, not just this season, but you also, again, Laurie touched on it, but when you weren’t playing a lot of football, do you kind of find almost those experiences can help you going forward because you’ve had them so young in your career?

Mainoo: Yeah, definitely. I mean, I feel like in every period of my career so far, I’ve tried to take positives from them. Even, you know, the times that I’m, I’m not playing, I’ve, I’ve learned things and I’m still applying them to this day.

Reporter: Michael, just looking back at the Champions League now, I’ve noticed the different setup now. How do you look at the state of play with United? Obviously, two difficult defeats on the road, win at home, long way to go, but it does feel like there’s a sense of, oh, but that’s a tough fixture, that’s a good fixture, coming off that, you need the win.

Carrick: Yeah, of course we’re looking for the win. There is the bigger picture and it is about getting through to the later stages and one or two games you can kind of get away with really, and as long as you— and then you kind of make amends for that at these times. And it’s the games, yeah, of course tomorrow and the games coming up that is going to dictate that for us. So we’re certainly still in it with a great chance of progressing and it’s got to be the focus from now.

Injury updates

Reporter: Can I ask as well, I asked about Rashford and Shaw’s availability for the coming games, and also just to clear up Yoro’s strapping, because we’ve seen it quite a lot on his right knee. What’s the situation?

Carrick: Yeah, Leny’s just had a bit of a tendon really, so it’s one of them that kind of comes and goes, but he’s been managing it and he’s been fine. I think he’s been fantastic, to be honest with you, one of our best players, and he has been since he came back first day preseason. He’s impressed us all a lot, so I’ve been delighted with with Leny and his performances and, um, got, you know, keep doing the right thing. He’s, he’s on a really good pathway. Um, Marcus and, and Luke, um, well, Luke definitely won’t be around this week and, not fit at that point. Uh, Marcus, we’ll just have to see day by day how he keeps improving.

Reporter: Um, Kobbie, a couple of weeks ago Michael spoke very eloquently about what Manchester United means and the values of Manchester United. You as someone who’s been here for so long understands that. Do you think all your teammates understand that? Because sometimes it appears as though they don’t always adhere to the standards required of a Manchester United player.

Mainoo: Yeah, I think, you know, United’s a huge club, so I think a lot of people know the values that this club holds and that have been passed down through the people who have worked here and who have played here. I feel I take some responsibility in that and in spreading the word of what is Manchester United coming up through the academy. And I plan to send that message for hopefully as long as I can.

United’s match with Roma kicks off at 8pm on Tuesday at Old Trafford.

Featured image by Carl Recine via Getty Images

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