Carrick's 'aggressive' side
United suffered their only defeat of the Carrick era two weeks ago, losing 2-1 at St James' Park in stoppage time when substitute William Osula curled in a stunning winner despite Newcastle playing with ten men for the entire second half. The result was a rare blot on an extraordinary period of form that has seen United collect 22 points from a possible 27 since Carrick took charge in January, transforming a side that finished 15th under Ruben Amorim last season into genuine Champions League contenders. Following that, Carrick has been keen to push back against the perception that he is completely calm in his management style. In his pre-match press conference on Wednesday ahead of the trip to the South Coast, the interim boss set the record straight.
"Yeah, there’s a time and a place," Carrick said. "Obviously we’re disappointed at times and so were disappointed with the result at Newcastle, so there’s feelings there. It’s a sport, elite performance. You’ve got to play with emotion and feeling and sometimes that is a bit more aggressive, it’s a bit more intense sometimes, so you’ve got to manage that. If I don’t manage that, you can’t expect the players to create the right emotion. So it’s certainly part of our role.
"There’s a drive, maybe there’s a stubbornness at times to want to prove to yourself as much as anything. To play at a certain level you’ve got to have that confidence in yourself and that belief to ultimately pull it off.
"But the emotion is part of it. I wouldn’t say I’ve put on a performance. I go with how I feel at the time. Certain times it’s a little bit louder maybe, sometimes a bit more feeling, other times it’s calm. It depends on what the group wants and needs at certain points. I guess that’s the ultimate of coaching and managing really: to get the lads in the right frame of mind."
Speaking immediately after the loss at St James' Park a few weeks ago, Carrick had made no attempt to hide his frustration. "Just the way the game was going, you know, emotions are part of the game and certain things we wanted to do, and try and do, and we're not doing it. The boys have been fantastic, you know. So, we've lost a game of football and, listen, it hurts me a lot. I'm really, really disappointed with tonight, for different reasons. But we can't lose sight of the position we've put ourselves in as well. So, as much as I'm disappointed, we need to learn from it, because it's a bit of a lesson for us tonight, in some ways. We can't lose sight of the bigger picture as well. We've got to be better for this."
De Ligt timeline still unclear
On the injury front, Carrick delivered another sobering update on Matthijs de Ligt, who has been sidelined since November with a persistent back problem that has proven more complex to manage than initially anticipated. The 25-year-old's absence has been felt at the heart of United's defence, and Carrick offered little in the way of a specific return date.
"Similar really. Frustrating for Matta, he's obviously trying to work to get back but it's just the back issue that's proving difficult. We'll keep working as hard as we can to get him back as quick as we can," he said. Lisandro Martinez at least offers some cause for optimism, with Carrick confirming the Argentine is "a lot closer" and expecting him to be available after the international break. Patrick Dorgu remains further from a return, while Noussair Mazraoui missed training on Wednesday through illness.
United embracing the pressure in European race
With eight games remaining and United sitting third on 54 points following Sunday's 3-1 win over Aston Villa, the Champions League finish that once seemed a distant prospect now looks far more achievable. United were 11 points behind Villa when Carrick was appointed, and the transformation since has been remarkable. Carrick, however, is not playing up expectations too much. "We've had some good results at home, that doesn't mean that is fixed and we can move on to something else. It's been nice to win at home and play at Old Trafford with a real feeling of confidence and for the supporters to feel that. But we're not having a major difference in preparation or mindset."
Bournemouth test up next for Red Devils
The trip to the Vitality Stadium on Friday evening is by no means straightforward for United. Bournemouth arrive on the back of a ten-game unbeaten run in the league and Carrick was careful not to underestimate Andoni Iraola's well-drilled side, whose counter-pressing and intensity have made them one of the trickier assignments in the bottom half of the table this season. He said: "It's a tough game. It's a tough place to go. They're on a really good run of form. We obviously know we're going down there off the back of a good result, and the boys are in good shape, but it's always a difficult game. Always has been and probably always will be. They're a really good team, well coached, really well coached, and good energy. We know we're in for a game down there."