Carrick: We lost our way and we will get it back, and I will do what I think is best for Manchester United

Manchester United manager Michael Carrick appeared at a press conference to discuss tomorrow's match against AFC Bournemouth in the eighth round of the Premier League, where he addressed several issues.

The coach said: "I will start today, I just want to say a few things. Recently, we have not been going through a good time, and I think that is quite clear. So I fully accept what we are going through at the moment. We have lived five months of relative success, a period during which I was happy with many things I saw and with what we were offering as a team. We have not delivered the required level recently, and we have gone through a period that we are not at all satisfied with. Wednesday night was bad (against Como), and it was bad for many reasons. We suffered a lot, it hurt me to see the team play this way and to watch how the match went. And as I said after the match, what happened was really unacceptable. The fans are an essential part of this club, and they put in effort and time and spend money for the team, so it was hard for them to feel what we all felt on Wednesday."

He added: "My responsibility is to prepare a team that goes onto the pitch and represents this club and its fans, making them feel proud, through the identity we show. We have strayed from that recently in some matches, and I am fully aware of this and am certainly working to change it. I think it is important for all of us to recognize that, and I certainly do. Our fans are of utmost importance to me and to this club, we want them to feel again what they felt during the first five months of the year, and for that relationship we have with them to return, and for us to regain the excitement, intensity, enjoyment, and true passion that characterized us. We need to get that back, and we will. I truly believe that."

Regarding the values and principles that Manchester United is built upon, he added: "The foundations of this club and its values have been established over many years. I understand each one of these values and fully grasp their meaning. It is about humility, hard work, and a true sense of pride in adhering to these values. There is a spirit of resilience within this club that has emerged over a very long period, whether it is coming back after adversity, achieving victories after being behind, scoring late goals, or maintaining success. This spirit is deeply rooted in Manchester United."

Michael Carrick spoke about the club's status compared to players and coaches, saying: "I know some people who have been part of the history of this club, and I know them closely. Manchester United has always been and will always be bigger than any individual, bigger than me and any player. It has always been that way. I am lucky to know some players and have played with some of them. Ryan Giggs is one of the greatest players to have worn this club's shirt, but it has never been about Ryan Giggs; it has been about Manchester United. Wayne Rooney is the club's all-time top scorer, and what distinguished him the most was playing for the team, sacrificing for it, and doing what is in the best interest of Manchester United. Sir Alex Ferguson is the greatest manager of all time, and he is the greatest for me. When I worked with him, his top priority was Manchester United. If we go back to Sir Matt Busby and Sir Bobby Charlton, we find that the spirit of resilience they showed was beyond imagination, whether in how they dealt with difficulties or in rebuilding this club. Again, it was all based on humility and hard work. We cannot lose these values, and I will not allow that. This history inspires me a lot and motivates me to bring the club back to the place it deserves."

Manchester United's manager continued his discussion on the necessity of respecting the club, stating: "We need to respect this club and respect what it means to be here, respect what it takes to win and what we must do to achieve victories. My presence here is not an entitlement, and there is no place for false entitlement within this club. We are not entitled to win just because we are Manchester United; we have achieved victories in the past and have an exceptional history, but that does not mean we have the right to win automatically. I fully understand that. It requires hard work and a lot of sacrifice. You must give yourself entirely to this club and do many things that may not be easy or pleasant for you, but you have to do them for your teammates, and you have to win. I think it is important that we adhere to these principles, and it is important for me to defend these values. Our fans should feel this return in the upcoming phase; we have had these values, but we have lost our way a little. If I want to be completely frank, we will regain it again. I am fully convinced that we will do that. We must respect this club and respect what it takes to succeed, because this is very important to me."

Speaking about his discussions with the players after the 4-1 loss to Como, Carrick said: "We talked, there are always conversations happening within the team, it is very clear how we all feel, and I want to see a reaction, and that reaction starts with me. My responsibility in this position is to lead. I am responsible for what happens on the pitch, for the shape of the team and how we appear. I will take responsibility and stand under the umbrella so that others stay dry, so to speak. This is my position, and it is a special role that I am honored to have. The conversations are ongoing, and we are working to prepare the players mentally and organize them properly to deliver a good performance on Sunday."

Regarding his feelings about the current situation, Carrick explained: "It hurts me deeply, but that won't stop me; there is a big difference between the two. This pain turns into pure motivation and inspiration, driving me to want more, expect more, work harder, and try to push the team in a different direction. Sometimes, it seems the road is still long, but it doesn't take much to change things in the other direction, and we are fully capable of doing that. I believe in this completely; we will do it, and we will achieve victories in matches. We have a very tough match on Sunday against AFC Bournemouth; they are a very good team, and facing them will not be easy. I'm not saying the match will be easy because it won't be. We have to respect the match and respect the requirements needed to achieve victory."

When asked if he believes that all members of the club feel the same about the current situation, he said: "Yes, I believe so, 100%. And if you don't feel that way, this is not the right place for you."

Regarding the burglary of Bruno Fernandes' home, Carrick added: "It's a terrible thing to hear about or to go through. We are providing a lot of support to Bruno and his family; fortunately, they were not directly harmed, although what happened remains a horrific situation. I am not downplaying the seriousness of the matter in any way, and we are doing everything we can to support him."

Regarding reports of a division in the dressing room after the public statements from Bruno Fernandes and Lisandro Martínez, he said: "There is no division within the team. We just need to get back to doing what we do best, and we will do that."

Regarding Manchester United's inability to compete for the league title since Sir Alex Ferguson's departure, Carrick explained: "This does not scare me. I know what we can achieve, and I know the shape we need to be in to secure enough victories and move past this phase. The principles and values are very important for this club, and they are particularly important to me. We can win matches, and we can lose as well, although we hope that does not happen. But losing can happen at some point. The important thing is the way we play and how things look within the team. The spirit, unity, and solidarity must be present; these things are already there, and they will remain. I will ensure that. I am just looking for solutions that help us move forward."

Regarding the need for players to stop making negative statements in the media, he said: "We definitely need to move in the right direction, and to achieve that, we must do the things that help us progress, and that is very clear."

Regarding how to encourage players to be humble and work hard, he added: "The matter is quite clear; I am not telling you anything new, and I have not invented new principles. Humility and hard work are the foundation of any good football team. You have to earn your right to outperform your opponent and give more than your opponent does in order to win the match; it is that simple. This rule does not change and will never change, and it is what we need to adhere to in order to achieve more victories."

In concluding his remarks on the possibility of stripping Bruno Fernandes of the captaincy, Carrick stated: "The most important thing for me is the team, the group, the balance, and the relationships within the dressing room; it’s about the club, and I will always do what I see as best for Manchester United."