Carrick: Don’t write us off yet

MICHAEL CARRICK believes Manchester United are capable of resurrecting their season under interim boss Ralf Rangnick and declared: “Anything can happen.”

The German, who is set to take charge until the summer appointment of a permanent manager, will begin his new role after United’s meeting with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge this afternoon.

And Carrick is bullish about what the Red Devils can still achieve this term as they look to bounce back from a difficult start.

He said: “There’s plenty left in the season, there’s no doubt about that.

“Of course, with where we are in the league and the results we’ve had, it’s frustrating and disappointing, but there’s so much stil to play for.

“The other night (beating Villarreal) was massive to confirm we’ll be in the Champions League and finishing top of the group was huge, giving us something to look forward to.

“Over time, not just here but other clubs, you have bad spells – sometimes really bad spells – in a season and you can almost have another season

within a season when things change.

“That’s form, that’s football and confidence. It’s how football goes at times. Striving for consistency is always the balance that you want to get.

“Who’s to say that as a group of players they can’t go on a run again?

“They’ve proved over the last two or three years that they’re more than capable of going on a run and we’ll see where that takes us.

“But you need to take it step by step and start winning games. Anything can happen after that.” Rangnick’s imminent arrival means a fresh start for the United squad, and Carrick admits that can be both a positive and negative for players. He continued: “I think whenever a new manager comes in or when anyone changes a job or they have a new boss in any walk of life, there is a feeling of ‘what’s next?’.

“You can’t hide from that, that is normal.

“People react to that in different ways. Sometimes that gives them a freshness and a spark to go and be at their best and perform even better, and some people are a little bit unsure.

“The confidence is knocked a bit because they don’t know if they are going to be in the team or the boss is going to like them.

“That is just normal and it is something you have got to cope with.”

NORWEGIAN prime minister Jonas

Gahr Store says Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is a national hero for the job he did at Manchester United.

Solskjaer’s three-year reign ended last week after a 4-1 beating

at Watford.