Interim coach says season doesn’t end when top-five spot is secure
Michael Carrick does not want Manchester United supporters being too impressed by Champions League qualification after the club all but sealed their spot with the 2-1 win over Brentford on Monday night.
An early header from Casemiro set the tone, with the Brazilian registering his ninth Premier League goal of the season. Benjamin Sesko added a second before half-time to put the hosts in control, while Mathias Jensen’s late 20-yard strike proved only a consolation for Brentford.
The result keeps United third in the table and strengthens their position heading into the last four games but interim manager Michael Carrick said qualifying for the Champions League should not be made into too much of a big deal.
“We’ve given ourselves a great chance,” Carrick said. “We’ve put ourselves in a big position. It’s a tough league. It’s tough to get wins. You can see that throughout the league. To get the amount of wins we’ve had. I think the lads have got to take a bit of credit for that.
“This week’s been very effective in terms of the league. Champions League is one thing, but it’s not something we should be celebrating either.
“We want to be finishing high up the league and trying to get more points so our season doesn’t get to a close when that happens.
“It’s one thing certainly we need to try and achieve and we’ve put ourselves in a good position at this moment, but there’s still more work to be done.”
Carrick also confirmed there will be no change to Casemiro’s planned departure this summer, despite the midfielder’s strong performances throughout the campaign.
“It’s pretty clear,” Carrick said. “From both sides it’s pretty clear the decision. It’s pretty clear, too, how much it means to him [playing for United] and probably the situation and the clarity of the decision has helped everything to be understandable for the supporters as well.
“Credit to him because he’s given absolutely everything and had some big moments for us, so all round it’s quite a nice direction for it to be taken.”
