Carrick: These youngsters are so exciting
MANCHESTER UNITED have had the rare luxury of four days’ undistracted training ahead of a big week: Aston Villa today, Jose Mourinho’s return to Old Trafford in midweek and the Manchester derby next Saturday.
All the coaching has been done under the watchful eye of Michael Carrick, excused the Europa League trip to Astana like virtually all United’s first-team squad to focus on the triple-header.
Carrick won every major trophy as a United player and his message to the latest crop of youngsters, whose inconsistency has seen them beat Chelsea and Leicester but lose to Newcastle and West Ham, is that growing pains happened in his day.
‘All those great players from the past weren’t readymade by any stretch,’ said Carrick. ‘We’ve got the youngest team in the league and they need a bit of help.
‘I was one of them when I was younger. Giggsy was one of them, Scholesy. They had to learn and make mistakes and improve. You learn from experience and by winning but everyone has to start somewhere.
‘Cristiano Ronaldo is an example. He took a year or two to settle, then all of a sudden he exploded.
‘We’re aware of that. The players now have potential that is so exciting. I’m seeing them develop daily.’
Last weekend’s thriller at Sheffield United was a microcosm of United’s season. Two-nil down and in turmoil, 3-2 up with great attacking play, and then conceding a late equaliser to prevent them rising to fifth in the table.
It didn’t ease pressure on boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, particularly with Mauricio Pochettino on the market, but Carrick has seen it all before.
‘We had stick at the start of 2007/08,’ he said. ‘We weren’t playing well or scoring enough goals. We ended up with the Champions League and Premier League.
‘You become totally oblivious to outside noise, that’s the truth. The scrutiny and expectation is something you get used to. Everyone wants a piece of Manchester United, good or bad. You have to take it and when it’s good it’s something special.
‘Someone like Marcus Rashford has been at United since he was a kid. He knows the place inside out, what is expected and acknowledges the responsibility. It’s great to see.
‘Scotty [Scott McTominay] has summed us up, how much he has come on and the importance he has.’
Qualifying early for the knockout stages of the Europa League was a bonus.
Twelve of the 14 players who featured at Bramall Lane were able to stay behind and train rather than fly to Astana last Thursday.
‘We always targeted that,’ said Carrick. ‘It’s relentless for the players so it’s a chance to refresh.’