Michael Carrick | Match Performance Thread

[Geoff]

I thought Carrick was decidely average yesterday against Arsenal, but then again the majority of the team was decidely average yesterday.

[se7en]

Another great performance v Chelsea

[JSNFRMN_MUFC]

Most underrated player in the league, maybe the world.

Capello was there today... Carrick > Lampard

He's our most consistent midfielder. He's had a few bad moments but over the course of the season, he's been good in most games and when he plays well, everyone else plays well and to me he's shown why England failed last summer in the World Cup.

[metatron06]

Again, masterful performance by Carrick with Giggs and Park ahead of him. He has been most impressive this season when playing just behind those 2. Hope we go with this formation against Barca. Perhaps if we want to start conservatively, then Fletcher in for Hernandez, but with Fergie you'd never know, he may fancy to beat them at their own attacking game!

[Geoff]

Carrick's strength is how accurate he is when he's spraying passes about the pitch.

He was very accurate yesterday.

[JSNFRMN_MUFC]

Sorry to go on but this guy really doesn't get enough credit. 4 league trophies in 5 seasons for Carrick and he's been pivotal in all 4 in my opinion. Not only that either but 3 CL finals, a SF in his first season. Last season when we lost it in the final few weeks saw Carrick off form, I see it as no coincidence that without Carrick on form in the run in, we didn't win it. This season's run in has seen him in form, thus we won the title. Now he's not the sole reason but he is a key reason. When Carrick plays well, everyone else plays well. He's the link between everyone on the pitch.

[Scholesy18]

There is nothing wrong with Carrick.I think he is a class player.He has had a few poor games(who doesn't?) and most of the games he has done the job for us even if he hasnt contributed a goal or two.As Scholes himself said,he gets slagged easily because he is not a flashy player even though he does the job for the team.if Scholes says he is a great player to play alongside with,then there really shouldn't be any complaints about him as a player.

[Geoff]

I'd rather a player like Carrick who can actually pass the ball and keep possession for us.

[JSNFRMN_MUFC]

I think his biggest problem with his critics is that when he makes a mistake it's seems to stand out. This is because he is the last man before the defence so when he misplaces a pass it's usually in a dangerous position.

He's one of my favourite players though and he seems to have refound that long forward passing that went missing in his game for a bit.

[JSNFRMN_MUFC]

Michael Carrick: Protecting the back four | Technique | FourFourTwo Performance

[se7en]

Twas his birthday yesterday

[se7en]

Michael Carrick: I need to have more influence at Manchester United | Football | The Guardian

Michael Carrick has accepted he will need to take more responsibility at Manchester United this season if Sir Alex Ferguson is unsuccessful in his attempts to bring another creative midfielder to the club. Those hopes appear to be receding and that leaves greater emphasis on Carrick now that Paul Scholes has retired. Carrick turned 30 on Thursday and is aware that, without Scholes, he needs to have more influence on the team.

"It's just as you get older and more experienced and mature. It [Scholes's retirement] doesn't create extra pressure for me, it's just a natural progression, especially with our squad being the way it is now. We've got a lot of younger players so it's up to the older ones to set an example of how things should be done, and I suppose I am one of the older ones now."

[JSNFRMN_MUFC]

Carrick welcomes fight for places | Manchester United News, Fixtures, Results, Transfers | Sky Sports

Competition is something I think we've lacked in midfield, Gibson's not really pushed anyone and Ando's been injured a lot, no one's really been pushing anyone to perform well, I think with Cleverley back looking hungry, he'll push people to perform and Ando's been performing well and had a very good pre-season. Fletcher coming back now will feel under pressure and will need to up his game, Carrick knows he has to up it.

[Sideshow Bob]

Carrick made no difference to our attacking play, 4 goals in the 80 minutes he played, showing United are more than the Cleverley and Anderson partnership.

[JSNFRMN_MUFC]

I thought Carrick was great, allowed Anderson greater freedom too. If there was one thing I would criticise on is that at one point he decided to pass on the edge of the area when he should have taken a shot on.

[g@mb!t]

Cleverley vs Carrick is an unfair comparison on both. Carrick offers defensive stability and will sit deep but Cleverley is much more dynamic on the ball, always moving, closing players down.

If we were looking to attack and score a goal quickly, i'd go for Cleverley over Carrick.

[se7en]

Pretty poor tonight imo

[JSNFRMN_MUFC]

I didn't think he was great but 92% pass success with 86 successful passes, 8 interceptions! 4 tackles, completed 12/14 long balls. I was surprised when I read those stats.

[Sideshow Bob]

Not the greatest game for Carrick. The whole midfield were woeful in fact.

[IrishManc.]

Thought Carrick was very bad tonight. Really negative in his passes most of them going back to the back 4. We needed someone to look up and find Rooney but instead Rooney was tracking back trying to get the ball himself when he was our only forward on the pitch for the first hour.

[se7en]

Stepped in and did well.

[JSNFRMN_MUFC]

Thought he shored things up for us, him and Berba. Ando's passing was a bit off today and he came on and helped ball retention. Pathetic booing towards him for passing the ball back to the keeper. We were 3-1 up for fuck's sake, main thing is to keep the ball.

[se7en]

Im guessing the people who booed are also the people who shouted "shhhoooooooottt" when Evans had the ball 35 yards out.

[Sideshow Bob]

Pathetic booing towards him for passing the ball back to the keeper. We were 3-1 up for fuck's sake, main thing is to keep the ball.

Was just about to make the same point. The booing was utter embarrassing. A player is short on form and those ill-informed inside Old Trafford decide to boo - shameful.

[JSNFRMN_MUFC]

Michael Carrick impressed by Young Reds - Official Manchester United Website

Michael Carrick may not have played as much as he’d have liked this season, but that hasn’t diminished the enjoyment he’s taken from seeing United storm to the club’s best start in 26 years.

After five games, United have collected maximum points and scored 21 goals – statistics that make for impressive reading. But just as impressive is the sort of free-flowing, attack-minded football that Sir Alex’s men have employed.

“I have really enjoyed watching us, especially when you see us sitting top of the league after the start we have had,” Michael Carrick said. “It was a very tough start and now there are tough games to come. But I’m all for us playing good football and winning.”

The energy and pace with which United have played this term, particularly in midfield, is unquestionable. But is that a product of the personnel on the pitch (Anderson and Tom Cleverley have played the most league minutes in the centre of the park this season) or a concerted change in tactical approach?

“Certain players play certain ways,” Carrick admits, “but we always try to play with a high tempo, keep the ball on the ground and pass and move.

"The manager hasn’t needed to drum into us the need to play quickly any more than he usually does. He’s done that enough over the years!

“The philosophy here is to play at a high tempo and to move the ball quickly and test out the opposition. This season, things have come together very well for us.

“The training since we returned for pre-season has been of a very high quality and is very intense. Maybe that has something to do with it.”

Carrick knows more opportunities will be handed to both he and other more experienced team-mates as the season progresses. Nobody, he says, is panicking about losing their place.

“We’re well aware that there will be times during the season when the flowing football is not going to be there and you just have to find a way to win. Hopefully the experience will tell in those times.

“[At the moment] these young lads will be enjoying themselves. They’ve got an opportunity they possibly didn't think would come so soon.

“[When that happens] you just want to make the most of it when you get a chance. You are so young, you have never really had any setbacks. You just play the game freely and with enthusiasm and enjoy it. They are certainly doing that at the moment.”