A tetchy exchange and a firm answer
Michael Carrick says he expects to remain Manchester United’s manager, even with his side in the Premier League relegation zone. United rescued a 4-4 draw against Aston Villa at Old Trafford on Sunday with two goals in stoppage time, and the point still leaves them third from bottom and one point from safety.
Asked by Sky Sports whether walking away might be the right call, Carrick replied that it was “not going to happen”. Pressed on what he expected over the coming weeks, he turned several questions back on the interviewer before settling on an answer. He accepted that United have not won enough games, and said he expects to keep working on what the team has been doing, cut out the mistakes and start winning.
In his press conference he went further. He said there is “more than enough” in the squad, called the goals United conceded avoidable, and argued that his team had been the better side for most of the afternoon.
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The numbers behind the pressure
United have now gone eight league games without a victory, a run Sky describes as a club record in the Premier League era. Their 18th place after ten matches is their lowest at that stage of a top-flight season since 1986/87, when they were 20th.
The reaction from the studio was harsh. Roy Keane said Carrick talks a lot without saying much, and questioned whether the dressing room has enough leaders. Gary Neville, speaking on NBC, pointed the finger higher up, arguing that changing managers has not worked across eight different appointments in 12 years and that the ownership has no clear plan.
Two weeks to think
The two-week international break now gives everyone time to reflect. United are due at Liverpool in a few weeks, and Keane was blunt about whether this defence can survive an afternoon there. Carrick says he is staying put. Whether the club’s owners agree is the question that will hang over the break.
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