Michael Carrick insists he ‘has his own ideas’ on how Manchester United should play following Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s exit, as he hints at changes for crunch Champions League tie with Villarreal
- Michael Carrick will take charge of Manchester United’s next couple of games
- He is in temporary charge following the decision to sack Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
- The club will eventually appoint an interim boss for the rest of the season
- Carrick spoke to the media ahead of his first game in charge on Tuesday
- He has urged the players to flip their ‘mindset’ after recent poor performances
Manchester United’s temporary manager Michael Carrick has insisted he has ‘his own ideas’ on how they should play following Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s exit.
Solskjaer was sacked by United on Sunday morning following their humiliating 4-1 defeat to Watford.
The club confirmed Carrick will take over for the next few games, before an interim boss is put in charge for the rest of the season.
Michael Carrick is in temporary charge until Manchester United appoint an interim boss
Carrick steps into the role following the club’s decision to sack Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
Although he might not be in the position for long, Carrick has a big job to help turn around the club’s fortunes.
Their loss at the weekend was their fifth defeat in their previous seven Premier League games.
Asked if fans could expect to see any changes in approach from the team in Tuesday night’s Champions League clash with Villarreal, Carrick said in his pre-match press conference: ‘We will have to wait and see.
Carrick steps up into the role having worked as a first-team coach under Solskjaer
Carrick’s first game in charge will be against Villarreal in the Champions League on Tuesday
‘I worked closely with Ole and we do have very similar beliefs – we did as players and we certainly do as coaches.
‘Of course I’ve got my own personality to Ole but we’re very similar and that’s why we worked together for so long.
‘I’m not giving too much away about what my plans are but I’m very clear in my own mind about how we want to play and I’m looking forward to seeing that on the pitch.’
As first-team coach, Carrick played a key figure of Solskjaer’s staff, taking charge of training sessions and working on tactics.
The 40-year-old paid tribute to Solskjaer during his press conference ahead of his first match in charge.
He also insisted that players need to change their mentality after their recent poor form which has included humbling defeats to Liverpool and Manchester City.
He called on players to change their mindsets after recent humbling defeats in the league
United’s defeat to Watford was their fifth defeat in their last seven league games
He said: ‘First of all it has been an emotional time for everyone at the club. I’ve been working with Ole now for three years and I’ve known him an awful lot longer. I know the person he is, the values he has, what he believes and how he treats people.
‘To see Ole unfortunately lose his job yesterday was tough for me and tough for a lot of people at the club. You could tell by the emotion around the place yesterday what Ole meant to everyone.
‘We understand and Ole understands it’s a results business so as much as you build the right foundations and environment and you show people the way, you sometimes don’t get what you deserve…
‘On the flip side football is football and it’s business as usual today in terms of preparing the team for tomorrow’s game. It’s a privilege for me to sit in this position and I understand the possibilities that come with that.
‘The focus now is on flipping our mindset very quickly and that’s something this club has done very well historically.’
Mauricio Pochettino is among the candidates to take the United job permanently down the line
Asked what had gone wrong for a side that finished second in the league last season, Carrick said: ‘We could talk though all sorts of different things right now but I’m not one for looking back.
‘Of course I know in my mind what I could have done better and what could have been improved.
‘It’s important everyone looks at themselves, it’s easy to look elsewhere. As a player I was the same – what can we do better? What can we improve on? What’s next for me is we’re getting on a flight to Spain and we’re preparing for tomorrow.’
Despite their poor form in the league, United could qualify from their Champions League group should they beat Villarreal and Atalanta fail to get all three points against Young Boys.
A host of names have been linked to the United job permanently come the end of the season, with Paris Saint-Germain boss Mauricio Pochettino the bookies’ favourites.
