Sportsupdated 1h ago2 min read
Archive photo · 12 April 2025Michael Carrick Says Manchester United Are Manageable Ahead of Bournemouth Home Game
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Carrick dismissed the idea Manchester United are unmanageable before Bournemouth. United endured seven winless games, heightening pressure on Carrick.
5 outlets told this the same way.
Carrick rejects unmanageable
Michael Carrick dismissed a theory that Manchester United are unmanageable as he prepared for Sunday’s Premier League home game against Bournemouth (14:00 GMT) after a run of seven games without a win. Carrick said the pressure on him has been heightened by controversial comments from senior players Lisandro Martinez and Bruno Fernandes attacking the club's recruitment and his tactics.
“Carrick had a one-word answer to that notion: ‘No.’”
Carrick accepted the general performance of his team in a 4-1 Champions League defeat at Como on Wednesday was "unacceptable", but he argued that claims his team do not press do not hold up. Carrick insisted, "No.", and he said, "You've got to be careful with just saying 'not running'" as he defended the team’s approach and said pressing is "one small part of football."
Trust and the press row
Carrick told reporters he trusts his players to deliver against Bournemouth at Old Trafford, saying, "I definitely trust them, yeah, 100 per cent I trust them." Carrick said the Como result was "It wasn't a very good night at all for so many reasons" and added, "We have to be a different team on Sunday."
Bruno Fernandes questioned Carrick’s tactics after the loss at Atletico Madrid, and the pressure intensified after Fernandes appeared to question Carrick’s approach in Como, according to London Now. Wayne Rooney urged Carrick to come out fighting, and Rooney’s criticism framed the dispute with a video caption that said, "Wayne Rooney urges Michael Carrick to come out fighting before the Man United players cost him his job!"
What happens next
Carrick acknowledged he opened his press conference with a six-minute speech about the current situation at the club, and he said he understands his position while demanding a different team on Sunday.
“I think there's a lot of elements, different elements, some smaller than others, of why we've ended up not winning as many games.”
Carrick said, "I think there's a lot of elements, different elements, some smaller than others, of why we've ended up not winning as many games," and he rejected the idea that the issue was about receiving more support.
Carrick argued that too much talk focuses on pressing, saying, "Pressing is one small part of football," and he said, "You don't necessarily need to press to win games of football. Sometimes you do, sometimes you don't."
The Telegraph said defeat at home against Bournemouth would heap more pressure on Carrick, and it quoted Carrick saying, "We’ll be a different team on Sunday – we have to be a different team on Sunday," as his immediate future could hinge on the result.