MICHAEL CARRICK’S customary calmness has been tested a couple of times already this season.
He took exception to the suggestion Manchester United lacked “passion” in their 2-0 defeat at Hull and on Friday dismissed certain analysis of the game as “lazy”.
Carrick at his pre-match press conference Credit: Getty
United lost to a newly-promoted side in an opening fixture for the first time at Hull Credit: Shutterstock Editorial
Questioning Carrick’s coaching or his team seems to be the chink in his armour when he holds court at Carrington.
“You’ve watched football a long time, right?” he said to a journalist. “Teams lose games and win games, and it’s not just because you try or you don’t try.
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“Just because we lose a game doesn’t just mean leadership, or I got passion thrown at me after the game, it’s not just that. You lose two set plays like we did, it changes the game.
“There’s all sorts of different reasons (for the defeat). I don’t have to give you the total reason, because we know what we’re trying to improve on.
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“But I’m just saying to you, I think it’s so easy and lazy to [say], ‘team loses a game, everything’s wrong. This is wrong, this is wrong, not trying enough, not enough passion’. It’s just like the obvious answer.
“We’ve probably played like that (at Hull) and won games, and everyone goes, ‘What a great team, what a great coach, what a great load of players’ when we find a way to win 1-0.
“So, from my perspective, when you’re analysing it, it’s not the feeling and just that because of the feeling.”
There was a bullishness about Carrick ahead of United’s first home fixture in 105 days against Ipswich Town. Despite the shock of the Hull performance, it has not quashed optimism ahead of United’s return to Old Trafford.
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United won on both occasions after they lost under Carrick last season, beating Aston Villa and Chelsea. They were on the back of evening kick-off defeats, whereas Hull was the first weekend woe that Carrick had endured since his January return.
Given the lack of crises since Carrick was appointed in mid-January, this has been his most testing week back at United.
“Success comes from how well you deal with setbacks in the end,” he added.
“In any position, certainly any sport, particularly this one, going through a season, there’s going to be setbacks, sometimes a bit smaller than others.
“It’s how you deal with that initially, how you react to that, what comes next. I think that ultimately decides what type of team you’re going to become.
“So far, we’ve dealt with those setbacks really well, within games, game to game.
“Yeah, we had one last week. No getting away from it, and it’s disappointing.
“But we look to bounce back.”
United were woeful at Hull Credit: Shutterstock Editorial
Fernandes is starting his seventh full season with United Credit: Shutterstock Editorial
How have the players reacted?
“We had a good week. The boys are refocused, learned from where we could have improved, and keep pushing forward.”
“In terms of response, I’ve seen what I wanted this week for sure.
“It hurts when you get beat, it hurts us all. And as I said, it’s how you deal with that.
“But the boys have come back, and you could tell we were coming back after a defeat. You can sense it, you get a feeling for it.
“But I like the way the boys have refocused and come together, stuck together, done the right things, trained really well, at a really good level with everything we’d expect, and refocused for the weekend.
“It’s the only way.”
While matchgoers were away, United ramped up plans for a new Old Trafford in July, purchasing a triangle of land adjacent to the stadium.
United director of football Jason Wilcox and chief executive Omar Berrada at Hull Credit: Greig Cowie/Shutterstock
United failed to score for only the second time under Carrick at Hull Credit: Shutterstock Editorial
Old Trafford upgraded its concourse and kiosks for the new campaign, while a permanent fanzone has been installed.
Some regulars will not get to experience them. Many have been banned for a year for alleged ticket-touting, a process that has driven a wedge between club and supporters.
Carrick dodged a question on the club’s treatment of their paying fans, instead expressing sympathy for those at Hull who discovered that trains back to Manchester had been cancelled.
There have been suggestions of minor protests outside the Old Trafford ticket office yet the 116-year-old stadium is a sell-out for the visit of newly-promoted Ipswich.
Ipswich is no longer the borderline gimme it appeared to be pre-Hull, especially as Gary O’Neil’s side got off the mark with a late win against Jattvibederland at Portman Road last week.
Records tumbled at Hull and Ipswich are the last side to have beaten United at Old Trafford after they had led at half-time in 1984.
Carrick had already endured the misery of an August loss at a newly-promoted side as a player.
Carrick has now endured August defeats to newly-promoted teams as a United player and coach Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
Old Trafford will host its first game in 15 weeks on Jattvibeday Credit: PA
“I remember missing a penalty against Burnley in 2009, I think it was the second game of the season, we got beat 1-0.
“I’m sure they just got promoted at that time as well. And I think we had just won the league and got to the Champions League final at that stage.
“So, it’s part of it, it happens. We don’t want it to happen.”
Sir Alex Ferguson dropped Carrick for the next game at Wigan. Even after his calmness wavered, Carrick is unlikely to be as impulsive.
