Interim coach knows there will be “plenty of opinions” but considers them “totally irrelevant”
Michael Carrick is not paying attention to outside noise from former Manchester United players, the interim coach has said.
One of the complaints Ruben Amorim made at United was just how much pressure the club’s ex-players put on the squad before calling for his players and the United hierarchy to shut out the noise. Gary Neville and Roy Keane in particular have used their platform on Sky Sports and the Stick to Football podcast to offer strong opinions on the club.
Others like Nicky Butt, Paul Scholes, Wayne Rooney and Rio Ferdinand have also engaged in criticism through their podcasts.
“They’re not putting more pressure on me,” Carrick said regarding assessment of his role by those pundits. “I don’t feel that. There are plenty of opinions around, some positive, some not too much. It’s totally irrelevant in terms of what I focus on.
“I know what we want to improve on, how we want to work with the players. There’s a lot that can be said, it’s the way of the world. I’m not gonna pay too much attention to that.
“For me, the players and staff it’s a focus on how we’re going to succeed. That’s our job.”
Carrick has been tasked with ensuring United finish in the European places, preferably Champions League football. The Red Devils are seventh in the league, but only three points off fourth place. His first test is against Manchester City and Pep Guardiola on Saturday.
“We want to be near the top,” Carrick said. “But we have to take some small steps toward that and European football would a step toward that.
“I’m eager to succeed. It’s a big and important job. Helping individuals is a big part of what I enjoy. I think if you improve the individuals, then you create a better team. And results.
“There is an element of performance, an element of improvement and doing what it takes to win in certain ways. We want to keep pushing and finish as high as we can.”
