‘Don’t Be Fooled’—Wayne Rooney Explains What Man Utd Can Expect From Michael Carrick
Wayne Rooney has warned Manchester United fans not to be tricked by the relaxed demeanour of interim manager Michael Carrick, who he has backed to “steady the ship” at Old Trafford.
Carrick was recruited on a short-term deal until the end of the season following the departure of Ruben Amorim, with United opting to give themselves longer to find a replacement—key target Oliver Glasner has since confirmed he will leave Crystal Palace in the summer.
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So far, Carrick has cut a laid-back figure, brushing off concerns from a number of former United favourites like Roy Keane and Gary Neville.
Rooney, another ex-Red Devils star, had a more positive outlook on Carrick as he insisted United had made the right choice with their appointment.
“Michael’s great fun,” Rooney told his self-titled BBC podcast. “He is a great character, but don’t be fooled by how calm he looks.
“He can have fun as well, but make no mistake, he’d be going in there now with full focus.”
Rooney continued: “It is probably the obvious choice really because I don’t think there are any top, top managers available at the minute. I think it is the right choice at this moment in time.
“It is a difficult task of course. Where Manchester United are at the minute is not a good place and Michael has to go in and steady the ship.”
Carrick: Man Utd Magic Still Exists
Carrick joins a United side on the fringes of the Champions League spots, sitting prettier in the Premier League standings that their on-field performances and the general mood around Old Trafford would perhaps suggest.
Reports claim the players have reacted well to Carrick’s arrival and spirits are thought to be high on the training ground, with the interim boss doing his utmost to remind everybody of the significance of playing for United.
“I think there’s a magic around this place,” Carrick told the media before Saturday’s derby against Manchester City. “I feel it. I feel at home straightaway, coming into the building, coming in and around it.
“I’ve obviously been around it for quite some time and then missed a little window, but I think there’s a magic around this place. You can’t help but feel that.
“Yeah, results and sometimes from the outside things look a little bit different but it certainly doesn’t feel majorly different on the inside, I have to say that.
“Listen, part of my role and responsibility is shaping what we want to look like going forward as a group.
“What happens on the pitch, the tactical side and the performances is one thing but certainly the culture as well and how we think, how we act, how we behave, what it means to us to be here ... that’s something that is part of my responsibility to spread in the right way.”
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