Michael Carrick has been quizzed on criticism from Roy Keaneplaceholder image
Michael Carrick has been quizzed on criticism from Roy Keane | Getty Images | The Overlap
Michael Carrick takes charge of his first Man Utd match when they host Manchester City this weekend.
The 44-year-old was named the club's new head coach on Tuesday night and will take charge of his first match when they host Man City in the Premier League this weekend. It will be an emotional moment for Carrick when he leads out his side for the Manchester derby on Saturday lunchtime, with the eyes of the world focused on his role.
Ruben Amorim spoke of the criticism from former players and pundits when he was in the role of head coach, something that Carrick will have to get used to during his spell in charge of the club. The former United midfielder will take charge of 17 matches until the end of the season and he insists he is prepared for the criticism he will face from those outside the club.
Read More
Carrick ready for scrutiny in United role
The former midfielder was quizzed on the scrutiny placed upon the United head coach position, and in particular, criticism from United great Roy Keane. Speaking earlier this week, Keane made things personal when he took a dig at Carrick's wife for having a 'big mouth' and even joked 'she was probably doing the team talk' at Old Trafford.
The feud stems from a public interaction in 2014 when Keane criticised Carrick following a poor performance against Olympiacos. “That interview was just like the performance: flat," Keane said at the time. "He should say a bit more, have a bit more urgency, even in the interview.” Lisa Carrick hit back at those comments when she wrote on social media: “Roy Keane what a **** says anything to provoke a reaction.”
Speaking at his first press conference, Carrick responded: "They’re not putting more pressure on me. I don’t feel that. There are plenty of opinions around, some positive, some not too much. It’s totally irrelevant in terms of what I focus on. I know what we want to improve on, how we want to work with the players. There’s a lot that can bve said, it’s the way of the world. I’m not gonna pay too much attention to that. For me, the players and staff it’s a focus on how we’re going to succeed."
Asked if he was hurt by the particularly personal comments, he added: "It didn’t bother me."
Continue Reading