Has he given up on failure? Carrick: what happened against Tottenham hurts me a great deal

United manager explains shock draw with Spurs and defends his star

Michael Carrick admitted the boos from Manchester United's fans during the 1-1 draw with Tottenham Hotspur "hurt me a lot", though the manager insisted he understood their frustration after his side threw away the lead against ten men from the 78th minute.

United have made their worst start to a league season in 40 years. This was a fourth league match running without a win.

The discontent spilled over midway through the first half, before the supporters jeered the team at full-time, a response to the slump in both performance and results.

Carrick said after the match: "When things do not go according to plan, I understand the fans' reaction at times. It hurts me a lot. It is not easy to go through that. But sometimes you have to go through it."

He added: "I care about this place as much as anyone. Sometimes you can say a lot, because we have not come out of this situation. I understand that."

He stressed: "I think the players dealt with it well, and used it to turn things around in the second half."

Tottenham's goal sums up everything

Carrick described Tottenham's late equaliser, scored by Dominic Solanke after the sending-off of Rodrigo Bentancur, as "summing everything up", and said: "It was a really up-and-down game. We struggled in the first half. It was a difficult opening. Things weren't right, in the small details and in possession of the ball."

"We struggled to pass, we were a bit slow to press, we left spaces, and there were a number of (negative) things," he added. "It took us time to settle into the game, and we were much better in the second half in many different ways. We got into a very good position to show our fighting spirit and go 1-0 up."

"Games like these we should see out, but we didn't find the right way to do it," he stressed. "We lost the ball too easily at times, and it left the game open. It's clearly a bad goal, and it sums everything up."

The verdict was blunt. "I'm very frustrated to be in a position like this and not come out of the game with a win," he added.

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Patience? Saliba in the jaws of the United crowd!

Carrick also urged fans to be patient with Carlos Baleba, who joined from Brighton in a deal worth up to £70 million but missed the start of the season with a pre-season injury.

Carrick told Sky Sports: "With Carlos, I think he is working his way to full fitness. He was out after his injury early in the summer, so he missed an important period. We understand that, and we have to be patient with him so he can reach his level before he steps into the spotlight and onto the big stage."

The coach explained: "It is a big jump when you join a club like Manchester United. I don't just mean in terms of the ability to play, but moving here and then playing. I think we need a bit of patience, and we shouldn't expect too much too early."

Carrick added: "He is a young player who has moved here, and over time he will improve. But we are really happy with him at the moment."

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