United must keep minds on the game says Carrick

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MICHAEL Carrick wants Manchester United players to quickly refocus on tonight’s Champions League trip to Villarreal after paying an “emotional” farewell to sacked manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Carrick has been placed in caretaker charge after Saturday’s 4-1 defeat at Watford proved the final straw for the beleaguered Solskjaer, who bid his farewells to the players with an address at the training ground on Sunday morning.

“It has been an emotional time for everyone at the club,” Carrick said. “I’ve been working with Ole now for three years and I’ve known him an awful lot longer. I know the person he is, the values he has, what he believes and how he treats people.

“To see Ole unfortunately lose his job yesterday was tough for me and tough for a lot of people at the club. You could tell by the emotion around the place yesterday what Ole meant to everyone.

“We understand and Ole understands it’s a results business so as much as you build the right foundations and environment and you show people the way, you sometimes don’t get what you deserve.

“On the flip side football is football and it’s business as usual today in terms of preparing the team for tomorrow’s game.

“It’s a privilege for me to sit in this position and I understand the responsibilities that come with that. The focus now is on flipping our mindset very quickly and that’s something this club has done very well historically.”

Carrick said he was told on Sunday morning by United’s executive vicechairman Ed Woodward he would be put in temporary charge – with the club planning to appoint an interim manager until the end of the season before a long-term replacement is named.

Things could potentially move faster than that – Paris St Germain boss Mauricio Pochettino is understood to be unsettled in the French capital and could be open to a mid-season move – but Carrick said those decisions were not for him.

“It’s literally just over 24 hours since everything unfolded and the game is not much further away so that is all I’ve been thinking about,” he said.

“We’ve got a big game on the weekend (against Premier League leaders Chelsea) but we will address that when we need to. As long as the club want me, I will give my best.”

Solskjaer’s exit signals a rapid unravelling of United’s ambitions.

The surprise return of Cristiano Ronaldo had a side that finished second in the league last season being backed to challenge for the title, but instead they sit eighth, 12 points off Chelsea.

Fortunes in Europe have been only marginally better – though United go into the match top of Group F, they are level on points with Villarreal with Atalanta two further back.

Michael Carrick has been placed in charge as Man Utd’s caretaker manager.