- Manchester United interim head coach reveals end-of-season goal
- United sit just two points off guaranteed Champions League qualification
- Potential defensive recruitment
Manchester United interim head coach Michael Carrick outlined his end-of-season objective: secure UEFA Champions League football, with the Englishman saying, “It’s certainly where [we] want to be.”
It underlines just how dramatically fortunes can shift in football within a matter of months. When Ruben Amorim departed the club on January 4, the atmosphere around Carrington and across the fanbase felt distinctly bleak.
Following Darren Fletcher’s brief two-match caretaker spell, that mood deteriorated further after an FA Cup defeat and a Premier League draw against 19th-placed Burnley saw United slip to seventh in the table.
Now, just three and a half months into Carrick’s tenure, United have all but wrapped up a top-five finish following last night’s win over Brentford. A 2-1 win came courtesy of goals from the departing Casemiro and Benjamin Sesko.
Carrick’s Champions League Claim
Speaking ahead of that win, Carrick addressed a range of topics, including the significance of Champions League qualification. He told reporters
“It’s certainly where [We] want to be. We’ve had some success in the competition. We’ve had some great occasions and great nights in the competition, and it’s, without doubt, where [we] want to be. I think you can never take it for granted and just assume that’s where you should be. It’s part of football and performance where you need to earn it. Simple as that, you need to earn it.”
He added:
“At the moment, we’re in a decent position. There’s, hopefully, more to come as well, and we want to keep pushing, but it just shows you how difficult it can be to be at the top, to stay at the top, to live at the top. Champions League’s definitely where we want to be.”
United’s victory wasn’t without its issues, including when Mathias Jensen struck late on to give the hosts a nervy finish. But the win hmeans just two points are needed for the Reds to be playing in Europe’s elite club competition next season.
Summer Plans
Carrick is speaking like someone who will be in charge next season despite the club yet to confirm him as the permanent head coach. He’s also discussed transfer plans, particularly amid concerns about the fitness of Lisandro Martinez and Matthijs de Ligt.
Across the past three seasons, Martinez has featured just 60 times, while De Ligt has remained sidelined since November with what initially appeared to be a minor setback.
“It’s not an area of concern for me at this moment in time. At the moment and timing wise, talking about the summer and what goes beyond that, it’s difficult to elaborate on that really. Licha’s missing games for different reasons at the minute, which we won’t go into, but I understand why you are asking it. But no, I haven’t got concerns.”
Martinez and De Ligt both missed the win over Brentford. The Argentine was suspended while the Dutchman has been recovering from a back problem suffered in December.
