Every word of Michael Carrick’s Nottingham Forest press conference

“I can’t blame you for asking, to be honest,” Carrick replied. “Well, yeah, there’s two games to go, right? So we knew. Apart from that, there’s not much else I can say. It’s probably what you’d expect. I think the situation is pretty clear for us all. Same as in terms of preparing for the game, really planning for that. And it doesn’t change what I do this week.”

MEN reporter Samuel Luckhurst then asked “Michael, again, I appreciate you can’t talk too much into the future, but what has it meant to you on a personal level to be leading this club and, you know, potentially to continue leading the players and this team? Because it feels like maybe something we’ve learned from you being in charge. It takes a unique individual to handle all the pressures inside and outside the club.”

The interim boss answered:

“It’s a unique football club, special, special football club, and I’m immensely proud to have come back and to be part of it, to help as a supporter. As an ex-player and an ex-employee is one thing, but as a pure supporter and caring about the club so much, to be in a position to come back and help and for us as a group to move forward, it was important to make the big step to get back into the Champions League is good and it’s obviously we’re happy with the work that we’ve done so far.”

The following question was “the fans are obviously eager to know what’s happening as well. It’s kind of customary for the manager to speak to them from the pitch after the final game. Will you be doing that?”

He responded:

“I think that’s important regardless of the situation. I think it’s important because the supporters are my supporters, this club, and we thank them and I certainly thank them for the season and the support and certainly in the lastfour months for however long it’s been for me personally. So I know you’re getting that in terms of the future and what that brings, but I think regardless of that, for what we’ve gone through together so far and that connection I felt, that the players have felt that and seen it in talks and individual players have felt it but as a group we’ve felt it.

“So I think it’s important that we have that anyway, and certainly for us to thank the fans and for me to thank the fans for that is important.”

Sesko fitness

Carrick was then asked if Benjamin Sesko will be fit to play and whether there are any other injury issues.

“Ben’s not as straightforward as Casemiro,” he replied. “He’s still not 100% with the problem he had. So Yeah, apart from that, we’re all right with it.”

What can this team achieve?

“Well, you’ve always got to aim upwards for sure, and it’s— that’s just the beauty of football and the beauty of competition, you know, to achieve something, to then back it up, to then improve on things. I think that’s always the challenge, and for the players, for the squad, for the whole group, for the football club. You know, we want to keep moving in a positive way and in the right direction. And the closer you get to the top, obviously, the less room for progress. But progress is certainly what needs to be aimed for.”

More to follow, refresh for updates.

Featured image James Fearn via Getty Images

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