Manchester United retain Michael Carrick for Chelsea trip
Michael Carrick will remain Manchester United manager for Saturday’s Premier League visit to Chelsea after the club’s hierarchy decided against making a change following Monday talks.
United keep Carrick in post
Carrick had faced mounting pressure after Sunday’s 3-0 home defeat to Bournemouth, a result that extended United’s winless sequence to eight matches.
The run has also delivered the club’s poorest opening to a league campaign in 40 years. Carrick’s future had been under serious doubt in the immediate aftermath of the Bournemouth loss, but he has been retained for the trip to Stamford Bridge.
- Manchester United have not won in eight matches.
- Bournemouth won 3-0 at Old Trafford on Sunday.
- Carrick will take charge against Chelsea on Saturday.
- United’s league start is their worst for four decades.
Carrick rejects surprise at decision
Asked if he expected to have been dismissed, the 45-year-old said he remains focused on correcting the team’s problems rather than his own position.
“No. I’m here to do the work for the team,” Carrick said. “I’m determined to improve us, so I’m not surprised.”
He said his thoughts after the Bournemouth defeat had centred on the display and the result, not on whether the club would remove him. Carrick acknowledged that the atmosphere inside Old Trafford had felt unusual, but said his priority was identifying the changes required.
“My focus was simply on what we have to do to get better,” he added.
No demand for assurances
Carrick said he did not ask United’s leadership for guarantees during the uncertainty surrounding his role. He insisted he understands the demands attached to managing the club.
“I don’t need assurances from anybody,” he said. “I understand the role, the responsibility and everything that comes with it.”
The former United midfielder also said he avoids much of the external debate around the club, while stressing that supporters’ feelings inside the stadium matter to him.
“I care about what the fans think and how the stadium feels,” Carrick said. “Beyond that, I don’t really pay attention. I know what this job brings.”
What happens next
Saturday’s match at Chelsea is now the immediate test for Carrick and his players. Carrick signed a two-year deal in the summer after taking United into the Champions League, having initially arrived in January as Ruben Amorim’s short-term replacement.
