Photo by Mark Cosgrove/News Images/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Photo by Mark Cosgrove/News Images/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Manchester United manager Michael Carrick has issued a defence of his side’s poor performance.
The blown call for Erling Haaland’s goal for City’s winner has already prompted an apology from the referees’ governing body.
United fans are angry – but head coach Michael Carrick is not off the hook either.
The Red Devils have managed only four points from the opening four games, a poor return that is simply not good enough.
United should have been able to break down 10 men City, who had Phil Foden sent off in the first half.
Even without Haaland’s controversial goal, a 0-0 draw would have been an insufficient result.
FBL-ENG-PR-MAN UTD-MAN CITY
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Carrick reluctant to criticise players
Manchester United only managed three shots on target against City, and Michael Carrick admitted there was room for improvement in the performance.
“We could have finished the game better, we could have been a little bit more creative,” he said at his post-game press conference.
However, Carrick was reluctant to criticise the Manchester United players, pointing to an overall record where the team have scored in every previous home game under his management.
He said: “I can’t be too critical of the players because I think we’ve got some really good creative players who have scored and created goals a lot.
“So, I think when we look at it as an isolated game, of course we would hope for more in general from the team and we certainly wanted to score a goal and we didn’t today.”
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Carrick anxious to rack up wins
Michael Carrick is keen for Manchester United to start getting more wins on the board, with two matches upcoming.
United face Brighton in the Carabao Cup this week at Old Trafford.
Following that, United visit Fulham in the Premier League ahead of the international break. It is a fixture that has already become a ‘must win’.
Carrick said: “We’ve got two games coming up this week and it’s part of it, of moving on quickly.
“We haven’t got as many points as we would have liked at this point, for sure, there’s no getting away from that. But we don’t need a break or a restart or anything, we’ve just got to move on and get winning again.”