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Michael Carrick Responds to Roy Keane's Comments Amidst Manchester United Coaching Role Discussions

Michael Carrick prepares for intense scrutiny as Manchester United interim coach, addressing comments from former teammates and pundits. Roy Keane's recent criticisms of Carrick and his coaching team, including a remark about his wife, have caused a stir. Despite this, Carrick remains focused on his role and goals for the team.

Michael Carrick Responds to Roy Keane's Comments Amidst Manchester United Coaching Role Discussions

Michael Carrick said he is ready for the unrelenting scrutiny he is about to face as Manchester United coach, including from his former Red Devils' team-mates. Ruben Amorim was eventually weighed down by the volley of criticism from United legends such as Gary Neville but Carrick insisted he would pay little attention to comments from the high profile pundits in the media.Neville, Rio Ferdinand and Paul Scholes are just some of Carrick's former team-mates who are now opinion formers in the media while Roy Keane, who he never played with and who he effectively replaced when he signed for the club in 2006, gave the new coach a taste of what was to come with some butal comments about his wife and coaching staff on the Stick to Football podcast. Keane had criticised Carrick back in 2014, prompting an X-rated response from the midfielder's wife Lisa. And it seems that Keane has not buried the hatchet more than a decade on. "Well, his wife can always come in because she’s got a bit of a big mouth sometimes," Keane said, later remarking "She's probably doing the team talk."Neville, meanwhile, said that Carrick should not be appointed permanent boss, preferring Mauricio Pochettino or Thomas Tuchel to be in charge for the start of next season.Asked about Keane's comments in his first press conference since being named coach until the end of the season, Carrick said: "Honestly, it didn't bother me." Asked how he would cope with so many people opining about his work from now on, the former United midfielder added: "They're not putting more pressure on me, I don't feel that. I think it's just part of it, I understand the role, there's plenty of opinions around, some are positive, some aren't so much. "It's totally irrelevant in terms of me and how I go to work and what I focus on. I kind of know already what we want to improve on and how we want to work with the players and I've already said about improving things, there's a lot of opinions, a lot can be said. It is the way of the world, I'm not going to pay too much attention to the most of that. It's not for me to do that, I think for me and the players and the staff it's a focus on how we're going to succeed really. That's our job, that's our responsibility, that's what our focus and our minds should be at, is doing what we can for this club."Looking for smarter football bets? Get expert previews, data-driven predictions & winning insights with GOAL Tips on Telegram. Join our growing community now!Carrick met with co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and majority owners Joel and Avram Glazer on Thursday following an executive board meeting at United's training ground at Carrington. Carrick said he enjoyed meeting the INEOS chief and the Glazer family and pledged to work closely with director of football Jason Wilcox and Omar Berrada. Wilcox led the process to appoint a caretaker boss after his explosive row with Amorim which led to the Portuguese being sacked.He explained: "I've spoke to Jason an awful lot and working closely with Jason and Omar as well over the last few days, we've spoke a lot as you'd imagine. The owners, the ownership group were in and around it, it was nice to see them and meet them yesterday and have a small chat with them, taking care of business in some ways. We were able to share a few things, so I wish us all the very best and it was good to see them."We want to be near the top of the league, we want to be top of the league. That's pretty obvious to say, but we've got to take some small steps towards that and European football obviously would be a step forward and we've got to keep pushing."Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reportingCarrick could face his first broadside from Neville and Keane on Saturday as both pundits will be working for Sky Sports on his first match as United boss at home to Manchester City.But he said the overall feeling he had about his first game in charge was one of excitement. He said: "It's fantastic to be here, it's a great feeling for me to be in this position. I've played different roles for this club and learnt to fall in love with the club for so long, it's a massive part of my life and has been for so long. So I'm fully aware of the position I'm in, in so many different ways. As well as that I'm eager to succeed, we've got a big job to do, it's an important job and it always is here, to win games and to play well and to do it in a certain way."

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Handling Criticism and Expectations

Michael Carrick acknowledged the scrutiny he faces as Manchester United's interim coach, especially from high-profile figures like Gary Neville and Roy Keane. Keane's recent comments about Carrick's wife and coaching staff have made headlines, but Carrick maintains his composure, stating that such opinions are irrelevant to his focus on improving the team and achieving success.

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Meeting with Ownership and Future Plans

Carrick recently met with co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and majority owners Joel and Avram Glazer, along with director of football Jason Wilcox and Omar Berrada. He expressed a positive reception to the discussions and emphasized the club's ambition to be at the top of the league and excel in European competition. Carrick is determined to work closely with the owners and management to drive the team forward.

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Excitement for First Match in Charge

As Carrick prepares for his debut as United's boss against Manchester City, he conveys a sense of excitement and privilege for the opportunity. With a deep connection to the club from his playing days, Carrick is eager to lead the team to success and uphold the values of Manchester United. Despite potential criticisms from pundits like Neville and Keane, Carrick remains focused on the task at hand.

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Embracing Challenges and Moving Forward

In the face of ongoing commentary from former teammates turned pundits and media personalities, Michael Carrick demonstrates a resilient attitude towards his coaching role at Manchester United. He remains resolute in his commitment to the team's progress and is determined to navigate the challenges that come with the position. Carrick's ability to maintain focus amidst external opinions underscores his dedication to the club's success.

Published on Jan 16, 2026