Michael Carrick insisted he would still be in charge when Manchester United face Roma in the Champions League on Tuesday, despite the 2-0 defeat at Chelsea.
United’s problems mounted as their winless run reached nine games , but it remains to be seen if their form leads to a change of manager. Carrick is clinging on to his job after overseeing the club’s first such run since 1988 and tried to focus on the next game as he analysed his side’s defending when Morgan Rogers opened the scoring for Chelsea.
“It’s never a good goal to concede,” he said. “Morgan went through the middle of us and at that point the game was right in the balance. To concede like that was a big moment. I’m just looking forward to getting the boys ready for midweek now.”
United played well during the first half but missed a series of clear opportunities. They folded after going behind and their fate was sealed when Lisandro Martínez was sent off for a foul that led to Cole Palmer making it 2-0 from the spot. Carrick, though, steered clear of criticising one of his most experienced players for leaving United in the lurch. “It was a major part of the game,” he said. “The second goal and losing the man at that stage had a big influence on it.”
United were just above the bottom three before the afternoon games but Carrick insisted there would be no stigma attached to one of the biggest clubs in the country falling into the relegation zone, should results elsewhere have that effect. “There’s no words that I’m going to explain to you now that makes it any different,” he said. “It’s not going to change it. We’ve got to move forward and win football matches, it’s as simple as that.”
Carrick was asked if his players were ready for a relegation battle. “You can look at it like that, and you can look at how far you can move up the league quite quickly if you win football matches,” he said. “That’s the way it’s got to be approached.”
Chelsea moved into fourth place overnight after responding well to losing to Tottenham in the league and Liverpool on penalties in the Carabao Cup. “The first half was intense,” Xabi Alonso said. “United had their chances, we were close as well, so at half-time we have spoken and the reaction from the second half was better. We started quite well, we got the lead, we looked in better control and after 2-0 and the red card the context of the game changed. But it has not been easy.”
Alonso praised Estêvão Willian after the Brazil winger sparkled on his first start in the league this season. “We spoke after Tottenham and he knew that he was going to be playing today,” the Chelsea manager said. “He has had the best response to show that he deserves more, that he was prepared and that’s what you want, so I’m very happy for him.”
