Alas poor Carrick...WTF has happened?

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has hinted that Michael Carrick could provide emergency cover at the back for the start the new season.

The 31-year-old midfielder stepped into a defensive role against Barcelona in Gothenburg on Wednesday night in the midst of an injury crisis, and may have to do so again with Jonny Evans, Phil Jones and Chris Smalling all currently unfit.

Ferguson told the club's official website, www.manutd.com: "Smalling is out for three months. Jones got a muscle injury in his back and was sent home from Norway, so the area we're concerned about is centre-back.

"Evans won't be ready for the start of the season. He won't be far away, but he won't be ready.

"Smalling is out and I can't give you an update with Jones because we've not fully diagnosed that.

"But Michael Carrick was absolutely brilliant [in Sweden] with his passing the ball and his interceptions. He was fantastic."


Bloody hell, I didn't realise our defense was quite that decimated! We really do have shite luck with defensive injuries don't we...
 
So basically, an injury to any of our first choice back four, and we'd be fecked. And it's only August.

Really hope Jones' injury doesn't turn out to be serious.
 
Here's a thought: why not just buy someone? You'd think that with the multi-million-dollar Chevy deal, and the fact that Forbes claims the club is now worth twice as much as its nearest 'rival' (Real Madrid), we could afford to sign some defensive cover...
 
So let's get this straight, Fergie said Carrick is going to be our most important midfielder for the season, and we're in trouble if he gets injured, yet we're going to use him at center back instead.

I believe that is what they call "omarlogic"
 
Or, normal logic, considering he will play just a few games there as cover, and spend the rest of the season in midfield.
 
It's definitely an issue having your best midfielder be your defensive cover though. We're weaker at the back and in midfield whenever Carrick is forced to cover.

He's our only real screening midfielder who can protect the back four. So with him in defence we have no one to protect our already weak back four.
 
Cina said:
So let's get this straight, Fergie said Carrick is going to be our most important midfielder for the season, and we're in trouble if he gets injured, yet we're going to use him at center back instead.

I believe that is what they call "omarlogic"
Click to expand...

:lol::lol::lol:

Certainly is Omarlogic! :D
 
I see that, rather then waiting a few months for our annual mid season injury crisis, we're gonna just start with it instead. Terrific.

Surely this is starting to look like more then just bad luck? Its been going on for about 4 seasons now.
 
Hectic said:
Or, normal logic, considering he will play just a few games there as cover, and spend the rest of the season in midfield.
Click to expand...

It's not normal logic though, Fergie has hardly just randomly thought "ah, I'll use Carrick in defense seeing as they're injured", he's obviously seen him as being the backup there for a while, and seeing as we've no backup for him in our midfield, do you not think that's a bit crazy? Especially when Fergie recently said that Carrick is our most important midfielder, a.k.a. we'd be fecked without him.

It's just another thing to add to the list of "why the feck aren't we buying a midfielder?".
 
Cina said:
It's not normal logic though, Fergie has hardly just randomly thought "ah, I'll use Carrick in defense seeing as they're injured", he's obviously seen him as being the backup there for a while, and seeing as we've no backup for him in our midfield, do you not think that's a bit crazy? Especially when Fergie recently said that Carrick is our most important midfielder, a.k.a. we'd be fecked without him.

It's just another thing to add to the list of "why the feck aren't we buying a midfielder?".
Click to expand...

He's seen him as backup when four out of our FIVE specialist centre backs are injured. When we're limited to a squad of 25 players I don't think that's particularly crazy.

If Nani, Valencia, Young and Kagawa were all injured at the same time I'd imagine our squad would look just as stretched, if not more so.
 
How often have our entire defense been injured? Quite a bit.

What I'm saying is, I wouldn't see the problem with having him as a backup as long as we had another midfielder capable of playing in his role, but we don't have one, and considering that's the sort of player that around 90% of us have been saying we've needed for the last 2 years, then surely you can see the issues behind that.
 
And I don't even need to remind any of you what happens when Evra's fecked, or if Rafael get's an injury.

Loaning Fabio out seems a better solution by the day.

CB cover is not an issue though. As a sixth choice CB, Michael Carrick's not half bad.

We have to play Cleverley/Ando/Kagawa vs. Everton though, probably.
 
Absolutely suicidal to go into this season without buying a midfielder especially if your second best CM is playing at center back. I hope Wootton can grab this chance, but I don't know yet if he's good enough.
 
marjen said:
And I don't even need to remind any of you what happens when Evra's fecked, or if Rafael get's an injury.

Loaning Fabio out seems a better solution by the day.

CB cover is not an issue though. As a sixth choice CB, Michael Carrick's not half bad.

We have to play Cleverley/Ando/Kagawa vs. Everton though, probably.
Click to expand...

When did Ferdinand and Vidic get injured? Them and Carrick will start I reckon.
 
Pogue Mahone said:
I thought the latest update on Evans was fairly positive?

Once he's back we'll be looking good again. Just need someone to give Rio the occasional day off. To be brutally honest, I'd have to say that keeping Jones out of central defence is probably a good thing.
Click to expand...

co-signed

on a side note-not getting a CM is looking even more stupid from this perspective (Carrick playing as CB)
 
Let's just hope Rafael and Evra wont be injured anytime soon! Fabio could come in handy right now for the fullback position
 
SteveJ said:
Here's a thought: why not just buy someone? You'd think that with the multi-million-dollar Chevy deal, and the fact that Forbes claims the club is now worth twice as much as its nearest 'rival' (Real Madrid), we could afford to sign some defensive cover...
Click to expand...

Or just sign someone on a short loan? :lol:

Promote Keane I say.
 
All the more reason to get an alternative to Carrick. Tbh end of the day if we don't sign anyone and Carrick either gets injured or forced to play in defence and we suffer, then we can only blame ourselves. Yes the mass injuries at the back is large but we've been here so many times over recent years and we saw the results in games where Carrick/Fletch couldn't play and there was no alternative for them. Fair enough at not signing more centre backs but there is no alternative to Carrick in the middle and that's something we can address and should have last season.
 
SteveJ said:
Here's a thought: why not just buy someone? You'd think that with the multi-million-dollar Chevy deal, and the fact that Forbes claims the club is now worth twice as much as its nearest 'rival' (Real Madrid), we could afford to sign some defensive cover...
Click to expand...

We should give another trial to William Prunier, he can't have gotten any worse.
 
Ando-Cleverley goals galore at both ends!

People are acting as though we don't have anybody else in midfield. We'll be fine. Scholes, Giggs, Powell, Kagawa and those two.
 
Michael Keane can cover both left and right.
As usual the midfield muppets are crying over nothing as usual.
 
feck sake, get ready for another season full of injuries. I hate it when our players get injured.
 
He is the sort of player England will need in Brazil. The heat out there will be something else and not given the ball away cheaply will be critical. That said as Im not English I hope he turns them down.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.