Manchester United head coach Michael Carrick dismissed suggestions that lapses in concentration explain his side’s defensive problems after his players clawed back a dramatic 4-4 draw against Aston Villa on Sunday with two goals in stoppage time, a result he found disappointing because he believed United were the better team for most of a contest packed with twists.
Speaking in his post-match press conference, published on the club website on Monday, Carrick insisted that his players are “switched on and concentrated” and blamed a variety of one-off moments, rather than any recurring theme, for the goals that keep catching United out.
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He argued that the team beats itself by handing opponents avoidable goals in tight clusters, which turns winnable matches into harder fights, and he reminded reporters that football is decided by what happens in both boxes.
Carrick maintained that United pressed well, defended well and controlled most of the pressure, yet still gave Villa the moments that shaped the game before finishing strongly to salvage a point.
One of those moments came when Diogo Dalot tripped Alysson in the penalty area and John McGinn converted from the spot, a incident that drew a negative reaction from sections of the home crowd and raised questions about whether the defender should keep his place.
Asked whether he understood the supporters’ frustration, Carrick said he shared it, adding that the players feel the disappointment as much as anyone, but he refused to let the criticism define his view of the 27-year-old, whom he credited for giving everything, performing well at times in different positions including left-back, and strengthening the culture of the group, even as he acknowledged the mistake.
He separated that praise from team selection, noting that deciding who plays the next game is a whole different decision, and when asked whether Dalot was coping with the criticism, he answered with a simple “Yeah.”
Looking ahead to the international break, Carrick voiced confidence that his squad can fix the problem, saying there is “more than enough” in the group, while conceding that goals change games and that United must improve drastically in how they deal with them.
