Manchester United manager Michael Carrick delivered a passionate speech at the pre-match press conference before the Premier League clash against Bournemouth, addressing the tough times the team is facing as results have not gone their way. United are off to their worst start in the Premier League era. They were dumped out of the League Cup by Brighton and lost two of their opening three Champions League games. They are winless in seven consecutive matches across all competitions. The 1-4 loss to Como has put intense pressure on Carrick, with his job on the line.
Carrick delivered a candid five-minute speech, acknowledging Manchester United’s recent struggles and admitting that their performance in Wednesday’s defeat to the Italian club was unacceptable. The United boss also spoke about the hurt caused to supporters, accepting the team had fallen well short of the standards expected after a period of relative success.
Despite recent setbacks, Carrick urged Manchester United to draw strength from the club’s history of surmounting adversity, insisting resilience remains embedded in its identity. He stressed that United has always been bigger than any individual.
“There's a resilience about this football club that's been shown for a long, long time. Whether that's bouncing back from adversity, whether that's comebacks, whether that's late goals, whether that's success, whether that's sustaining success, there's a resilience in this football club that runs very, very deep.
“I've seen it with my own eyes, I've felt it, I'm aware of some of the individuals and know them closely who have been a big part of that history. I said it after the game, Manchester United is always bigger and always has been, always will be bigger than any single individual. Bigger than me, bigger than any of the players and it always has been," he said. Manchester United's current situation has been made worse by open criticism by defender Lisandro Martinez and captain Bruno Fernandes.
{{/usCountry}}“I've seen it with my own eyes, I've felt it, I'm aware of some of the individuals and know them closely who have been a big part of that history. I said it after the game, Manchester United is always bigger and always has been, always will be bigger than any single individual. Bigger than me, bigger than any of the players and it always has been," he said. Manchester United's current situation has been made worse by open criticism by defender Lisandro Martinez and captain Bruno Fernandes.
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The Man United manager invoked the legacy of club greats he played alongside, including Ryan Giggs and Wayne Rooney, as well as legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson.
“I'm fortunate enough to know some players myself and play with some - Ryan Giggs, arguably one of the greatest to play for this football club. It was never about Giggs, it was about Manchester United. Rooney was the top goalscorer of this football club.
“His biggest thing was playing for the team, sacrificing for the team and what was good for Manchester United. Sir Alex Ferguson, the best manager of all time, the greatest for me and working with him, his main priority was Manchester United. Going back to Sir Matt [Busby], Sir Bobby [Charlton], the resilience was beyond belief of what they showed and the way they rebuilt this football club," he added.
“Respect what it takes to win”
He stressed that past successes cannot breed a sense of entitlement. He called for greater accountability and a restored understanding of what it takes to represent United.
“We're in a moment where it's not gone well, so we need to show exactly what it means. Respect this football club, respect what it takes to be here, respect what it takes to win, what you have to do to win. I'm not entitled to be here, entitlement cannot be at this football club, we're not entitled to win.
“We've won in the past, we've got an incredible history but that doesn't mean that you're entitled to just win. I'm fully aware of that, it takes hard work, it takes a lot of sacrifice. You've got to invest yourself in the football club and you've got to do a lot of things that maybe aren't so nice but you've got to do it for each other and you've got to win," the 45-year-old said.
Carrick reiterated that his decisions will always be guided by what is best for Manchester United and the team, while declining to disclose details of any conversations he may have had with the individual concerned.