Carrick Expects To Keep Man United Job Despite Chelsea Defeat
Under-fire Manager Insists Reds Must Move Forward As Winless Run Stretches To Nine Games
Michael Carrick expects to remain Manchester United manager for Tuesday’s Champions League clash against Roma despite his side’s 2-0 defeat to Chelsea extending their winless run to nine matches in all competitions.
Carrick came under renewed pressure after United suffered their third consecutive defeat at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, leaving them just one point above the Premier League relegation zone.
The former England midfielder had already received a reprieve following last weekend’s 3-0 home defeat to Bournemouth, with many expecting the United hierarchy to dismiss him.
However, despite another disappointing result, Carrick believes there were enough positives in his team’s first-half performance to build on ahead of their European assignment.
Asked by TNT Sports whether he expected to remain in charge for the visit of Roma, Carrick replied: “Yes.
“We’ve got to move forward. We’ve got to take the things that we felt worked for us today and take a bit of belief and the confidence from that and a lot of the good things, especially in the first half.”
United had made an encouraging start against Chelsea but failed to convert their opportunities before Morgan Rogers put the hosts ahead shortly after the interval.
Their afternoon deteriorated further when Lisandro Martinez received two yellow cards in quick succession, conceding a penalty in the process, which Cole Palmer converted to seal Chelsea’s victory.
Reflecting on the contrasting performances in the two halves, Carrick admitted his team failed to maintain its first-half standards after the break.
“From being in such a good place in the first half, the two halves of football couldn’t probably be more further apart in some ways,” he said.
“I think the way they went about it and played, the quality of football and the way we played in the first half, definitely gives encouragement. We’ve got to take that.”
United’s nine-game winless sequence is their longest in all competitions since October-November 1988, leaving Carrick under mounting pressure.
Their European campaign is also in danger, with two defeats from their opening three Champions League matches leaving them 20th in the 36-team league phase table and facing the possibility of missing out on the knockout stages.
