Michael Carrick will take charge of his first Manchester derby as Manchester United head coach on Saturday afternoon.
It’s been a busy two weeks for Michael Carrick – between taking part in interviews with Jason Wilcox and being appointed Manchester United head coach on Tuesday.
Since then, Carrick has been preparing the team to face Man City in the Premier League. It will be his first game in charge of the team, knowing the players haven’t experienced a victory in the last four matches.
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That poor run must come to an end if United are to qualify for European competition next season. Otherwise, Carrick will face plenty of scrutiny, just like Ruben Amorim did before him.
Carrick has already had to deal with heat from members of the media, including former United captain Roy Keane, which has only added to the noise surrounding the job.
Roy Keane providing coverage for the World Cup qualifiers
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Michael Carrick shrugs off Roy Keane’s criticism
Keane is never afraid of criticising United, but we also know that the Irishman is incapable of letting things go, like his feud with Sir Alex Ferguson, which has been ongoing since 2005.
When discussing Carrick’s appointment on the Stick to Football podcast this week, Keane aimed at Jonny Evans after the former Northern Ireland international had been added to the backroom staff.
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Carrick’s wife, Lisa, was even caught in the crossfire.
“His wife can always come in, because she’s got a bit of a big mouth sometimes,” Keane said.
“She’s probably doing the team talk.”
Those confused by the reference should note that it dates back to an incident in 2014 when Keane was working as a pundit. He criticised Carrick for his performance in United’s Champions League defeat to Olympiacos.
This led to a rant from Carrick’s wife, but a lot of time has passed since then.
When asked about criticisms from ex-players like Keane and Gary Neville, Carrick shrugged it off and it won’t bother him.
“It didn’t bother me,” Carrick told reporters.
“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 be said, it’s the way of the world.
“I’m not going to pay too much attention to that. For me, the players and staff, it’s to focus on how we’re going to succeed.”
Is Gary Neville wrong to be ruling Michael Carrick out of the running for the permanent job already?
Or do you think this is a moment Neville is speaking sense?
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Carrick is strong-minded enough to let Keane’s comments go over his head, but he must be able to handle such criticisms if he wants to succeed at Old Trafford. He took the high road and made Keane look worse if anything.
It’s a huge job, and harsh comments from outsiders cannot distract Carrick from the main objective.
Michael Carrick ‘in love’ with Man Utd
Carrick spent 12 years of his playing career at United.
The former England international joined from Tottenham in 2006 before spending the rest of his career at Old Trafford.
When asked about his return to the club as head coach, Carrick added: “It’s fantastic to be here, a great feeling to be in this position. I’ve had different roles and fallen in love with the club.
“I’m fully aware of the position I’m in. I’m eager to succeed, we’ve got a big job to do.”
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