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Carrick was a featured player, winning three games in a row, with Manchester City, Arsenal and Fulham all losing to a rejuvenated United, who had won only one of their seven games before his arrival.
Coach Carrick praised the efforts of his players ahead of the game, who helped turn the season around.
Coach Carrick said, “The players were very focused.” “We are all aware of the larger situation and what will happen.
“As a player, you just focus on what’s in front of you and try to achieve what you can at the moment and for the rest of the season.
“The players have been better than we expected. We are focused on getting better, improving and getting ourselves and this club where we want to be. It’s a small step, but this is a big end to the season.”
“At the time, people were saying the first two games were outstanding, but we expected a tough start and in a way it helped the whole group to be more focused and energized. I wasn’t looking too far ahead.
“As time went on, we got a vague idea of what we wanted to be, but since we’ve been here we’ve gotten a lot more clarity on what direction we want to go in and how we want to play.
“Three wins were great in many ways. The team and the team have grown a lot.”
With United not playing in Europe and suffering an early exit from the FA Cup at the hands of Brighton & Hove Albion, there has been talk of the club taking part in mid-season friendlies in Saudi Arabia, which could help make up for lost income due to fewer games this season.
Asked about the possibilities, Carrick said: “Nothing has been confirmed at this stage. We are aware of the schedule and there are some spaces that could be used in other ways.”
“Everything is up for discussion at the moment, but nothing is set in stone. It may or may not happen. We’ll see.”
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‘The players were fantastic’ – Carrick admits he’s proud of United’s stars after win at Arsenal
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For now, Carrick is focused on getting his team ready for the match against his other former club, Tottenham.
Mason Mount missed the win against Fulham after picking up an injury in training last week but could be in contention to return.
Carrick spent two years at Tottenham as a player before moving to Old Trafford, where he spent most of his playing career, winning 12 major trophies in 12 years.
Speaking about his move from Spurs, Carrick said: “I have really fond memories of Tottenham. It felt like a short time, but I really enjoyed it.”
“We had a good team, Martin Jol was the manager and I learned a lot in a short time at this club.
“It was a big leap to come here and I felt it right away. When you step into this place as a football player, you change completely. From day one, when I walked into the locker room and met the coach, that’s who I was.”
