Michael Carrick referenced the work ethic and sacrifices of Manchester United greats including Alex Ferguson and Wayne Rooney during a five-and-a-half-minute speech on Friday, calling for his underperforming players to show "humility and hard work" to pull the team out of its crisis.
Carrick is fighting for his job following United's dreadful start to the season, which was capped on Wednesday by what he described as an "unacceptable" performance in a 4-1 Champions League defeat to Como. He opened his scheduled pre-match news conference with the address, saying United had "lost our way" while emphasizing values he wants the current squad to repeat.
"There's a resilience about this football club that's been shown for, for a long, long time," Carrick said. "Whether that's bouncing back from adversity, whether that's comebacks, whether that's late goals, whether that's success, whether that's sustained success -- there's a resilience in this football club that runs very, very deep."
Carrick pointed to figures from United's past who showed that kind of work ethic, including those who helped the club recover after the 1958 Munich air disaster, in which 23 people were killed, among them eight United players.
"Ryan Giggs, arguably one of the greatest to play for this football club -- it was never about Ryan Giggs, it was about Manchester United," Carrick said. "Wayne Rooney was the top goal scorer 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. Again, it was based on being humble, having humility and hard work."
United, which plays Bournemouth on Sunday, sits 13th in the 20-team Premier League after winning just one of its first seven games and is already out of the English League Cup. In the Champions League, United opened with an expected win over newcomer Sabah of Azerbaijan but has since lost back-to-back games, after which senior players Lisandro Martinez and captain Bruno Fernandes launched outbursts in interviews.
While Martinez aimed his frustrations at the club's hierarchy, Fernandes appeared to criticize Carrick's tactics after the Como match. Carrick responded pointedly in his postgame interview, saying: "Whatever tactics you play, if you don't run, and you don't run forward, and you don't run back, you aren't going to win."
Carrick insisted on Friday that the squad wasn't divided and that he would ensure there is "unity" in the dressing room going forward. Asked whether he would consider dropping Fernandes or stripping him of the captaincy, Carrick said: "Whatever the situation is, I will always do what's best for the football club."
Carrick, who was given a long-term deal in the summer after serving as stand-in coach for the second half of last season, said he was comfortable with the scrutiny surrounding his future. "I'll hold that umbrella for me to get wet and for everyone else to stay dry," he said.
United Supporting Fernandes After Home Burglary
Carrick confirmed media reports that Fernandes' home had been burglarized on Wednesday while the Portugal midfielder was in Como for the Champions League match. According to the BBC, no members of Fernandes' family were inside the house at the time.
"It's an awful thing to hear about and to go through," Carrick said. "We are doing a lot to support Bruno and his family. Thankfully they weren't directly affected, even though it's an awful situation and I'm not playing it down in any way. We are doing everything to support him."
Conte Denies Advanced Talks With Any Club
Among the managers linked in the media with potentially replacing Carrick, should United decide to make a change, is Antonio Conte, who has previously worked in the Premier League with Chelsea and Tottenham. An earlier report had named former Bayern Munich coach Julian Nagelsmann as another potential replacement, reportedly open to such a move.
In a post on his Instagram Stories, Conte, who left Napoli at the end of last season and has also been linked with Juventus in Italian media, said he felt the need to clarify his position "following recent media reports in Italy and abroad."
"My name has been linked with numerous clubs," he wrote, "but there are currently no negotiations at an advanced stage. Following a wonderful and successful spell in charge of Napoli, I will take the time I need to consider how and when to return to management. It will be a carefully considered decision, one I will make when I believe the conditions are right."
"Should," Conte added, "a concrete opportunity arise, that will be the time to hold discussions with the club concerned and jointly consider the terms of a potential agreement, with due regard for both parties' needs and the qualities and approach that define my work as a manager."
