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Michael Carrick has dismissed suggestions that Manchester United is a soulless club, insisting he feels “magic” at the Carrington training complex as he prepares to take charge of his first match as head coach in Saturday’s Manchester derby against City.
Carrick Dismisses Soulless Claims as He Feels Magic at Manchester United
The former United midfielder returned to Old Trafford this week after replacing Ruben Amorim, who left the club after 14 months in charge. Carrick will serve as head coach for United’s final 17 matches of the current Premier League season, starting with the Manchester derby at Old Trafford on Saturday lunchtime. The former Middlesbrough boss becomes the 11th different person to manage United since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement.
Asked whether he felt the club is now soulless within their current slump, Carrick responded positively about the atmosphere at the training ground. “I certainly don’t think it’s soulless. I think there’s a magic around this place. I feel it and I feel at home straight away, coming into the building,” Carrick said. He acknowledged that results and external perceptions may differ but insisted the internal environment remains strong.
Carrick emphasized his responsibility in shaping the club’s culture and future direction, stating that his role extends beyond tactical considerations. “Part of my role and the responsibility is shaping what we want to look like going forward as a group. What happens on the pitch and the tactical side and the performances is one thing, but certainly the culture as well and how we think, how we act, how we behave, what it means to us to be here,” he explained.
The 43-year-old expressed satisfaction with the players’ attitude during his first three days back at the club. “I’ve been back in this role for three days and there’s nothing that I’ve looked at that’s really red-flagged anything. The players have been really good,” Carrick said. He described the players as willing to listen, learn, and improve their performances for the club, with the support staff equally desperate to succeed.
Carrick stressed that building the right culture requires daily commitment rather than mere words, stating it depends on behavior and actions in training. “The culture is something that happens day-to-day. It’s not something I sit here and talk about – a few words here and there and it makes it sound good. It’s how you behave and what you end up doing day-to-day,” he said, adding that the training ground has been “a really good place” and expressing hope to make Old Trafford an even better environment with supporter backing.
