‘Not a catastrophe’ – Carrick dismisses Man Utd job fears

Manchester United boss Michael Carrick says it would be “ridiculous” to start thinking how long he has left in the job after “two or three” bad results.

His side will visit Fulham on Sunday after an awful week.

After United lost at home to a Manchester City side reduced to 10 men after 23 minutes, Brighton became the first side to come from two goals down to win at Old Trafford in 50 years in their Carabao Cup tie.

United supporters responded to the midweek setback with boos and by chanting against their team.

Carrick said in the aftermath he was “not bothered” by the pressure – a sentiment he reinforced as he spoke to the media before the Fulham trip.

“I know the club, I know the role, I know what’s expected here in terms of playing to a certain standard and achieving certain things on the pitch,” he added.

“I get all that.

“In terms of future and ownership and how long I’ve got in the job, that’s totally not in my thinking. It’s ridiculous to think that way in the position I’m in, that’s just not on the radar.

“It’s two or three games. It’s two or three games too many because I really hate losing, but that doesn’t mean the world caves in. In some minds it does; it can’t for us.”

There has been no sense from senior figures inside United that Carrick’s position is under threat. They are more focused on the perceived underperformance of so many players given the 12 games out of 17 that were won under the 45-year-old over the second half of last season.

By contrast, they have two victories from six games so far, against newly promoted Ipswich – when they had to come from behind – and Azerbaijan champions Sabah FK in the Champions League.

“It’s not a catastrophe or a disaster,” said Carrick. “It’s not the end of the world.”

Yet it is the measure of the noise around a club of United’s size that is often feels that way.

Carrick accepted that issues at Old Trafford are frequently amplified, so they look to be bigger than they actually are.

Despite this, he loves his job – and the club he served with such distinction as a player, and began his coaching career.

“There are great feelings, and there’s obviously disappointments, and sometimes the smaller disappointments lead to being a little bit bigger,” he added. “It’s just part of coping and being at this great football club.

“I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else, genuinely.

“It’s the best place for me to be, in part because of the times when it’s maybe not going to plan. Sometimes they are the best times to work your way through, to find out a few things and come out an awful lot stronger.”

Externally, the inquests have tended to focus around recruitment – or lack of it, specifically at left-back – United’s finances and debt levels, Carrick’s relative inexperience and, other than assistant boss Steve Holland, that of his coaches.

“It’s not a blame game,” said Carrick, who revealed Luke Shaw and new signing Carlos Baleba “have a chance” of being fit for the Craven Cottage meeting.

“We all search for things to look at and point at, or whatever reason it may be and find a blame. Blame me. No problem. I will take the responsibility.

“But it’s not about blaming people. It’s about us; it’s about us finding solutions and being better. That’s as a whole football club.”