Michael Carrick has dismissed speculation that his tenure as Manchester United manager is nearing its end, as he prepares his team for Tuesday’s Champions League fixture against Roma.
Carrick’s position has become increasingly uncertain following a 2-0 loss to Chelsea on Saturday, which extended Manchester United’s winless streak across all competitions to nine games, a duration not seen in 42 years. The club is currently just one spot above the Premier League relegation zone, having secured only seven points from nine league matches this season. In the Champions League, they sit 20th after a significant 4-1 defeat away at Como last month, with only the top 24 teams advancing from the league phase.
When questioned at a press conference on Monday about whether he believed he had only two games left in charge – the Roma match and Sunday’s game against Aston Villa, followed by an international break – the 45-year-old, in his first full season as United manager, responded, “No, not at all.” He added, “If you 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, how we’re preparing for the game tomorrow. I’m actually really looking forward to the game, can’t wait for the game tomorrow. You might think I’m crazy with the results we’ve had and what’s going on, but I genuinely can’t wait.”
Carrick stated that the dressing room atmosphere is positive despite the team’s poor start to the season. “Perception is a funny thing. You can make things look all sorts of different ways and think about all sorts of different things,” he commented. “I’ve said it before, the commitment of the players to the club, to me, to each other, I don’t question that at all. We need to play better, we can make better decisions, but commitment is not a thing at all.”
He also defended defender Lisandro Martinez, who was sent off during the defeat at Stamford Bridge. “Things happen in football, sometimes you do things, sometimes you make decisions, sometimes you make mistakes, sometimes it goes well for you, but the commitment is not an issue for sure.”
Carrick holds fond personal memories of playing against Roma, having scored twice in Manchester United’s 7-1 victory in the Champions League quarter-final second leg in 2007 under Sir Alex Ferguson. “It was a magical night, I have to say,” he recalled. “It was one of the best nights, one of the best games, one of the best atmospheres I’ve been fortunate enough to witness. The fact that I scored a couple and that was very unusual gives me great memories, but it was more the emotion of the night, I have to say, it was a special one.”
