Michael Carrick’s experience of the Old Trafford circus was one of the reasons Manchester United brought him back to the club as head coach in January, and he has put it to good use ever since.
Triumph and adversity have been met with an easy smile and well-chosen comment from a man who, by and large, has seen it all in a United career that began two decades ago. For Carrick, blocking out the external noise is second nature.
But in the wake of a disastrous Carabao Cup defeat by Brighton on Wednesday night, we saw a different side to the 45-year-old. Carrick looked agitated – emotional even – after United were beaten at Old Trafford for the second time in four days.
It wasn’t on the same scale as his predecessor Ruben Amorim’s meltdown when United went out of this competition at Grimsby last season, sitting drenched in the dugout, fiddling with his tactics tray and incapable of watching his team lose on penalties.
Nor was it another flash of anger like the one that led to Carrick snapping at interviewer Jan Aage Fjortoft for his ‘ridiculous’ question about United’s lack of passion in the opening-day defeat at Hull.
But for a man who knows the lie of the land at Old Trafford so well, Carrick seemed genuinely shocked by how quickly this season is unravelling – and how fast he must now put it right – following three defeats in six games from a relatively gentle start.
Michael Carrick looked agitated, shocked – emotional even – after his Manchester United side were beaten at Old Trafford for the second time in four days
United defender Ayden Heaven can’t bear to look as United slump to a 3-2 defeat on Wednesday night
Since Everton stunned United with a stoppage-time equaliser 11 days ago, his team have lost the Manchester derby and gone out of the cup to Brighton, either side of a Champions League stroll against Sabah of Azerbaijan.
Even the storm surrounding JJ Gabriel’s decision to quit United barely warranted a mention late on Wednesday night as Carrick faced the TV cameras and written press with the boos of United fans still ringing in his ears.
‘A couple of smallish things end up accumulating and, let’s be honest, it feels bigger. All of a sudden it becomes a greater thing from nowhere,’ he admitted.
‘It’s happened over a period of maybe two or three weeks where there’s a lot of frustration and disappointment around, and we need to flip that and start winning games again.
‘Being here toughens you up. It’s all about what you do next and dealing with the ups and the downs.’
We have seen plenty of managers wilt in the pressure cooker of Manchester United in the 13 years since Sir Alex Ferguson stepped down, among them some hugely experienced coaches like Jose Mourinho, Louis van Gaal, David Moyes and Ralf Rangnick.
The comparison United would most like to avoid with Carrick, of course, is Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
There is no certainty at all that Carrick’s spell in charge will follow the same path as his old friend and team-mate, but the parallels are unavoidable.
Two ex-United favourites with limited experience of coaching at the highest level who were parachuted into one of the biggest clubs in the world as interim manager and did well enough to earn the job on a full-time basis.
There is no certainty at all that Carrick’s spell in charge will follow the same path as his old friend and team-mate Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, but the parallels are unavoidable
Even the storm surrounding JJ Gabriel’s decision to quit United barely warranted a mention as Carrick faced the Press with the boos of United fans still ringing in his ears
History has been a little unkind to Solskjaer. Yes, he lost six of his next 10 games after signing a three-year contract in March 2019 with Carrick on his first-team staff.
But Solskjaer lasted another two-and-a-half seasons, finishing second and third in the Premier League, and was within a penalty shootout of winning the Europa League.
It’s a record that looks better in retrospect, but the view remains that the decision to hand him the job permanently was the wrong one.
When United sought a quick replacement for Amorim in January, Solskjaer and Carrick were available and immediately pushed to the top of the pile of candidates because director of football Jason Wilcox placed great importance on their ability to fit straight into a unique environment they both know so well.
Ultimately, Solskjaer lost out because it felt like too much of a backward step to United and there was some concern over the lack of discretion coming from his camp during the negotiations.
Carrick was seen as the more progressive choice and it was rewarded with a run of just two defeats in 17 games and Champions League qualification.
In April, a month before he was handed a two-year contract, he dismissed the comparisons with Solskjaer, saying: ‘It’s irrelevant really, it really is. That’s not a negative or a positive, it doesn’t really have any link at all.
‘It’s a different time and a different team now, irrespective of me or who’s in charge, so I don’t really think comparisons make any difference.’
Even at this early stage of the season, though, the poor start is reminiscent of the dip after Solskjaer’s permanent appointment amid concerns that United have left Carrick without the tools to compete with his rivals in the Premier League and Europe.
Like the Norwegian, Carrick is a dedicated club man and unlikely to rock the boat. Once again on Wednesday night, he declined the opportunity to place any blame on an underwhelming transfer window.
Since Everton stunned United with a stoppage-time equaliser 11 days ago (pictured), the Red Devils have lost the Manchester derby and been dumped out of the cup by Brighton
New No 2 goalkeeper Karl Darlow had an inglorious debut against the Seagulls, letting in three goals
United failed to land their top midfield transfer targets, and the most expensive one – £70million Carlos Baleba – arrived with an injury which means he won’t make his debut until October.
The new No 2 goalkeeper, Karl Darlow, was signed as a free agent and had an inglorious debut against Brighton, letting in three goals.
The forwards recruited last year, Benjamin Sesko, Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha, have made a slow start to their second season at the club.
And next summer’s defensive rebuild cannot come soon enough, judging by the loss to Brighton. Two of United’s young prospects, Leny Yoro and Ayden Heaven, looked fragile in central defence, and the decision not to sign cover for Luke Shaw at left back appears increasingly flawed.
Shaw missed his third game in a row and Noussair Mazraoui, the latest player to deputise in his position, was struggling long before he was exposed for the winning goal scored by Maxim De Cuyper.
Carrick has been around United long enough to know not to press the panic button. He will have regained his composure by the time he faces the media again at Carrington on Friday.
Win at Fulham this weekend and he can go into the international break with room to breathe and time to fix the early-season problems without any additional pressure.
Lose again, and it will feel like we’re back in familiar territory.
