Michael Carrick: Taking Fulham lightly after dream start would be ‘out of order’
Carrick is out to make it three wins from three since taking over at Manchester United until the end of the season.
Michael Carrick has told Manchester United it would be “bang out of order” to assume his dream return will continue with a win against Fulham.
The former Red Devils midfielder, captain and coach has brought hope back to Old Trafford thanks to a jaw-dropping start to life as head coach for the remainder of the season.
United followed their mightily impressive 2-0 derby win against Manchester City in Carrick’s first match with a thrilling 3-2 triumph at Premier League leaders Arsenal last weekend.
The 44-year-old will look at rack up a third straight victory – which would match predecessor Ruben Amorim’s best league run – against Fulham on Sunday and there is no chance of him taking the game lightly.
“I don’t think we need to make too much of it, to be honest,” Carrick said after his excellent start moved United up to fourth. “We are where we are.
“The feeling around the group, around the squad and the results that we have had, the performances and going into the next game, I don’t think the past is too relevant in that respect.
“We understand it and what has worked before and what hasn’t, but really I think the boys are in a good place going into the game.
“Tough game, really tough challenge. I think Marco (Silva) has got Fulham into a really good team.
“All of a sudden it is a different game, it’s Fulham and just because we are at home taking anything for granted is bang out of order, really.
“So, it might be a case it’s the same flow of the game as the last two weeks. No shame in that. We will deal with the game in front of us and do whatever it takes for us to be able to come out on top.”
Sunday’s match against Fulham comes on the eve of the transfer window closing, with United yet to make a January acquisition after Antoine Semenyo joined Manchester City.
Any major deal seems unlikely, but Carrick says United are monitoring the market and their own circumstances, which altered when Patrick Dorgu limped off with a hamstring issue after his wonder goal at Arsenal.
The head coach said the 21-year-old would be “out for a period of time” and reports say the absence could end up lasting 10 weeks.
“Obviously it’s not ideal,” Carrick said of Dorgu’s injury. “Of course it’s not. We don’t want to lose good players from the group, but that’s part of having a squad and assembling a squad to be able to cover certain things.
“We’ve got players that can do that. It’s the nature of the beast, unfortunately.”
Asked if he foresaw anybody arriving before Monday as the squad push for Champions League qualification, the United boss said: “To be honest, I think we’re just working through it.
“Never say never, of course, because a lot can happen and situations can be thrown up. Sometimes it’s in our control, sometimes it’s maybe something that’s out of our control that we got to deal with.
“We’re calm, I’m pretty calm. I think we’ve shown what we’re capable of doing as a team and we’ll just see what the next few days bring, but I’m definitely calm about it.”
