Michael Carrick held an embargoed press conference discussing Sunderland ahead of their Premier League match. The first part was released live yesterday.
Every word of Michael Carrickās Sunderland embargoed press conference
Michael Carrick has been speaking to the media in the embargoed section of the pre-match press conference ahead of tomorrowās Premier League tie with Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.
The first part of the press conference was released live yesterday and is available here.
Here is every word of the embargoed section of the presser.
The first question was āwould you expect an absolute full kind of process of recruitment and for interviews for whoeverās in for [the permanent managerās job]ā?
Carrick replied:
āItās a process. I think itās pretty obvious itās going to be a process, and that was from the outset in terms of finding someone to fill the position ultimately in the end.ā
The reporter continued, āyouāve kind of exceeded expectations, so you know itās happened before that an interim has done well and would get the job.ā
He answered:
āYeah, a lotās happened before in all sorts of different ways, whether itās interim getting the job, not getting the job, whether itās having success or not success. So I think pastās the past, really, and Iāve learned from the past, Iāve learned from my own experiences, but thereās mixed throughout history in football.ā
āSo I think to compare all the other things and how itās gone before, I think it doesnāt necessarily give you a good gauge of whatās going on now and what needs to happen next. And thatās not me personally, I just think thatās the situation where itās at right now.ā
He was then asked āIs it difficult, is it unnerving for you in the job at the moment to see that job kind of being discussed externally with other candidates?ā
āNo, genuinely no,ā he said. āWhether itās discussed or not discussed, it hasnāt bothered me, hasnāt changed literally how I go about it, you know. Confident in the work that weāre doing and working with the players and leading the club. So it literally hasnāt had any effect on me at all.ā
The next question was:
āThere was quite a nice moment at the end of the game on Sunday when you gave Amad a hug. Youād won the game, massive 3 points, Champions League, all the rest of it. He was obviously still frustrated, I think, about that first goal. Obviously he was off at halftime against Brentford, on at halftime against Liverpool. It feels like itās been a tough time for him recently. He needs to get a bit more arm around the shoulder for him, do you think?ā
The Boss replied:
āAmadās fine, heās absolutely fine. Thereās no problem. He was smiling at full-time.ā
āMistakes are part of football. Iāve made them. Iāve made plenty as a player. I understand. And sometimes you make them and it leads to a goal. Sometimes you make them, you get away with it and no one really talks about it. Heās done so many good things since I came back and the impact that heās had on the team and his performances and what he gives the team. With the ball, without the ball, his energy, his attitude towards it.ā
āAnd heās been great over the last few days and he was great after the game. And so he should be. Heās got nothing to feel down about or upset about and frustrated about because heās got so, so much to look forward to and heās so talented and so exciting and an absolute joy to work with. So heās in a good place. Heās in a good place and Iām sure heās looking forward to the game on Saturday.ā
The manager was then asked if Benjamin Sesko will be fit to face Sunderland tomorrow.
āWeāll have to see,ā he replied. āHeās obviously came off with a shin issue, so weāll see. At the moment he hasnāt been fully back with the group, but weāll have to see how it goes.ā
Carrick was then asked ālast year the club wanted to come quickly out of the blocks and the deal for Matthijs was done very, very quickly. Where Champions League is boxed off now, youāre going to be in it next season. Is that the intention this summer as well, to get players in through the door quickly?ā
He answered:
āYeah, well, obviously for me sitting here, in terms of what Iāve said it before, in terms of what the summer looks like and moving forward, itās one decision at a time. But certainly in the background planning and what the squad needs to look like and evolve, thatās other conversations that are going on. And how quickly that happens, I havenāt got an answer for you right now.ā
āYouāve said before youāve been having those discussions, are they going on on a weekly, daily basis?ā
The Wallsend man responded:
āYeah, thereās always discussions going on, some informal, some smaller than others, but thereās always discussions. Thereās a lot to talk about. Recruitmentās the obvious one, and when it gets to this time of year, thatās what everyone wants to know about, and understandably so. And yeah, thereās a lot of work going on, and itās not just for me leading that, thereās a lot going on. Making plans for what the summer and beyond looks like.ā
The boss was then asked āBruno Fernandes is a bit of uncertainty again coming into the summer. I think itās been suggested heāll make a decision maybe after the World Cup on whatās going to happen. Now youāve got Champions League football and what feels a clear sense of momentum, would you expect Bruno to stay here for next season?ā
Carrick answered:
āI think Bruno, you can see heās happy and heās playing some fantastic football. Maybe heās as good as heās heās played ever and heās had really good spells here, so he looks happy. I think heās got a big end to the season here. Heās your big summer, of course. But yeah, we as a football club, we love having him here. Heās a big part of what we do.ā
The Athleticās Laurie Whitwell then asked:
āJust touching on a couple of the questions that guys have made in terms of your time here and the weeks have gone on, what have you felt like in terms of working with the club and feeling like thereās aspects that you would like to get stuck into, you know, beyond this summer? Is that something thatās been a part of your mind thinking what youād do if you did get the job?ā
āI think itās a natural kind of process to be crossing your mind,ā the manager answered, āand again what I was saying earlier about all my decisions of my personal, the staff, whether as a club weāve all made these decisions as weāve gone for the last 3 or 4 months of to put things in place to be stronger for the years coming up really and thereās always things that maybe we can do a little bit better or weāll improve on, or maybe go in a different direction with certain things. Thatās just part of evolving.ā
āSo yeah, of course, thatās something that has crossed my mind, and it was a case of leaving it in a place at the end of the season where if it was me or somebody else, thatās there to take even further.ā
The next reporter said āWhenever we speak to players after the game or whenever, they all speak quite passionately about you staying. How much hope does that give you? Like, youāve got all your players seemingly so behind you.ā
Carrick replied:
āI just think as a cultural manager, I think, or as a leader of a group, youāre only leader of a group if people kind of want to follow you, really. And itās not a thing that you can talk about so much, itās actions prove that. So when I feel the support and I feel that the boys are all connected, not so much with me, but youāve shown it together on the pitch, itās the most important thing really. And theyāve clearly shown that in different ways. Thatās the most pleasing thing. And then we try to guide them and help them in certain ways. But yeah, itās satisfying when you can see them putting it together as a team.ā
He was then asked āYou know, now that youāre saying youāre making long-term views on things, youāve qualified for the Champions League. Iām sure you would have watched a lot of the Champions League recently. Are you looking at how the team will evolve within a style that might not suit the Premier League but may needā that youāll need differently in Europe?ā
He answered:
āYeah, I think itās steps in a direction, in a positive direction. I think, um, as a football club, we need to be better in, in this, this league, you know, our own league. And thatāll take you in towards improving for the Champions League. But I think if we improve as a squad and improve as a group and we want to keep moving forward, then thatās going to help us in, in whatever competition weāre playing in. So I donāt think itās a total focus of just because itās Champions League now, itās we need to go in a different direction because of that. Itās making the group stronger and believing in whatever that looks like as a club. To improve the team for sure.ā
āWill that include potentially in terms of recruitment looking for more Champions League experience in terms of players?ā the reporter asked.
āI think it all goes into the pot of the decisions,ā he said. āThereās so many things that need to be spoken about and to when, when youāre even bringing in one player to the, to the group, thereās a lot of questions to answer and make judgments on that. So just one part of experience, whether itās experience in the Premier League, whether itās experience in playing in the Champions League, is not necessarily the kind of yes or no answer, you know, thereās a lot goes underneath that.ā
Featured image Alex Livesey via Getty Images
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Michael Carrick discussed various topics related to Sunderland in the embargoed section of his press conference.
Sunderland's next Premier League match is scheduled for tomorrow at the Stadium of Light.
The live release of Michael Carrick's press conference can be found on the specified media outlet's website.
The embargoed section allows media outlets to prepare their coverage ahead of the match while keeping certain details confidential until a set time.
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