Southgate’s regret at Smalling decision
Carrick fears old pal will hurt United even from a defensive midfield role
More importantly, he warns his former club Manchester United that the Derby talisman has the tools to hurt them tonight, even from there.
Rooney lines up against the team he used to captain, looking to improve on his record of having lost every game he has played against the club which he served for 15 years.
“It will be strange, I’m sure for him, playing once more against us,” said United first-team coach Carrick. “But I’m sure he is relishing it at the same time.
“He is playing a bit deeper, though. We played together in the FA Cup final in that position, when we won it last in 2016.
“He was going down that route, then went back up front again. He can adapt. He has the quality to adapt, whether as a striker or midfielder.
“I am not surprised he has gone to that stage now and is doing well. It is intelligence and what comes naturally to him really. He is quality. Pure quality.
“It is nice just to see him back playing well. He has had a spell away in America. In some ways you wouldn’t expect him to come back and
Vplay in England again. That was his retirement plan, going over there, but it is nice to see him back and playing well again.”
Those qualities also mean Carrick expects there is plenty more to come from what has already been a long life in highlevel football.
“From the time
WAYNE ROONEY has urged Manchester United fans to be patient, claiming it could be “two or three years” before they contend for honours again.
United’s record scorer, who turns out for Derby against his old team in the FA Cup tonight, believes boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, when he scored against Arsenal for Everton (in 2002 when he was 16) – I mean he was a name before that – but that was an explosion on the scene,” Carrick recalled.
“We’re talking about young lads dealing with pressures and press and media. He almost didn’t care about that and every time something was asked of him he stepped up and embraced it and grew even bigger. “Just an incredible talent, almost freakish in the way he could below, needs time to turn the club around.
“The fans need to be patient and let these players try and prove themselves,” said Rooney.
“They need to bring some players in, they need to get rid of some players and within two or three years they have to be challenging again.
“If you look at Liverpool and Manchester City, you’re not going to buy a team to go and challenge with them. The
important thing is to try to get into the Champions League this year.”
PAUL POGBA, who has not started a game since September 30, is expected to return from ankle surgery and begin full training with United next week.
GARETH Southgate says he regrets the way he has handled Chris Smalling and hinted at an England recall.
Southgate has watched Smalling at Roma, where he is on loan, and it would be a major U-turn after the England boss questioned the centre-back’s ability on the ball when axeing him from the squad in November 2017. Southgate said:
“I’ve never ruled anybody out. I probably regretted the way the message of... by praising others for certain attributes, there was criticism for Chris.
“It was my fault and it was unfair on him.” ❏ALL games in Serie A will be played behind closed doors until April 3 in a bid to fight coronavirus.