Carrick opens Bournemouth briefing with values speech and leaves Fernandes call open
Michael Carrick opened Friday’s pre-Bournemouth press conference at Carrington with a lengthy statement on Manchester United’s values, then declined to rule out leaving captain Bruno Fernandes out of Sunday’s Premier League game at Old Trafford.
Rather than sit down and take questions as usual, the head coach asked to speak first. BBC Sport timed the address at five minutes and 30 seconds, delivered with United seven games without a win and still dealing with the fallout from the 4-1 Champions League defeat at Como.
Carrick’s message on humility and entitlement
The club has published Carrick’s opening statement in full. He admitted the Como performance had hurt him and accepted that the side had moved away from the intensity of his first five months in charge.
“My responsibility is to get a team on the football pitch that represents this football club, represents the supporters, and [one] they can be proud of with the identity we showed,” he said.
“I’m not entitled to be here, entitlement cannot be at this football club,” he said.
“We’ve had it, we’ve kind of lost our way a little bit, if I’m totally honest, and we’ll get it back. I’m totally convinced we’ll get it back.”
No guarantees on Fernandes
The captain’s position dominated the questions that followed. Fernandes questioned Carrick’s tactics after the Como defeat, although club sources told the BBC on Thursday that he would keep the armband and would not be fined.
Asked directly about the 32-year-old, Carrick did not commit either way. “Most important for me is the team, first and foremost, the squad and the dynamics in the squad,” he said, according to the club’s own report. “Again, it’s about the football club and I will do what is best for the football club.”
He would not say whether he had spoken to Fernandes, insisted the dressing room was not divided, and said the club were supporting the midfielder and his family after their Cheshire home was burgled on Wednesday while the squad was in Italy.
Yoro and Heaven return to the squad
There was better news on selection. The club’s official team news confirmed that Leny Yoro is available again after serving his suspension in Como, and that Ayden Heaven has recovered from the illness that kept him out of the Leeds and Como fixtures. Matthijs de Ligt, who returned at Como after a lengthy lay-off, adds another option in defence.
“Ayden is back with group, he was suffering from illness but is back around the group and then we’ll see what the next couple of days bring [for the others],” Carrick told MUTV.
Lisandro Martínez and Marcus Rashford, who both missed the trip to Italy, are described by the club as fitness doubts. Patrick Dorgu, Luke Shaw, Kobbie Mainoo, Manuel Ugarte and Benjamin Šeško appear set to miss out through injury, leaving a list similar to the one that saw eight players absent from training before Como.
