Michael Carrick’s future is the biggest Man Utd question, and Rio Ferdinand has urged people to not miss a ‘defining detail’.
The results speak for themselves under Michael Carrick, as he has taken a battered and beleaguered team to the precipice of Champions League qualification with multiple games to play.
The players back him, Man Utd fans love him, he is at his dream job with a staff he clicks with, and the standards are being reset.
However, there are still some questions around him, but Rio Ferdinand says that those questions need to be set aside because people are missing a “defining” detail about his tenure.
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Rio Ferdinand sets record straight on Michael Carrick
Ferdinand has been one of Carrick’s biggest supporters ever since he took charge and started working his miracle at Old Trafford.
He has been vindicated for his backing in fine fashion, with Carrick living up to, and then far exceeding, the expectations set for him.
There remain questions about his long-term suitability and tactical nous, but Ferdinand says that what he’s already done defies belief because he hasn’t had a pre-season.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ferdinand said that pre-season is a ‘defining’ detail for any manager, and Carrick has earned the right to have one at Old Trafford at the very least.
He said: “I just want you to understand that a pre-season is such a defining moment for everything that happens in the season. From a player’s perspective, if you miss a pre-season, it’s horrendous.
“As a team, to be able to implement ideas and start getting things into the system, into the mindset of players as to how you want to approach the season, how you want things to go. Michael Carrick hasn’t had a pre-season.
“He’s had time on the training ground, yes, because there haven’t been many midweek games. So, I understand that. But pre-seasons are imperative. I think he’s done enough to earn the right to have a pre-season and have a shot at a pre-season. Minimum.”
Carrick can only be truly judged next season
As Ferdinand says, Carrick has worked miracles considering the circumstances he joined under, but at the same time, it might have helped him as well.
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He hasn’t had to do long-term squad planning and has been able to give it his all, knowing a clear objective and a set number of matches to manage.
Next season is when he can be truly judged, when he’ll be the face of the club, managing four competitions, after a transfer window and a pre-season.
The pre-season will be interrupted by the World Cup, but that’s where these 17 games this season will come in handy, because he has already had the chance to get his message across to the majority of the squad.
That is an advantage United simply can’t cede in favour of chasing a “shiny new toy”. Carrick has earned the chance to show his ability next season in a settled atmosphere.
He calmed the chaos this season. Now he deserves the chance to show what he can do in that calmness.
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