One year Giggs shared time in midfield with him, fair enough.
16
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 20
- Goals
- 1
- Assists
- 2
- Yellow cards
- 1
- Status
Once again, Carrick was key in keeping our team composed throughout the match, though with the whole team dropping off, it just had to be him making the mistake for Liverpool's goal. However, he didn't drop his head, and he continued to play his game, making it tough for Liverpool to pass the ball through and forcing them to mostly try and play long balls to Sturridge or Balotelli. His positioning and discipline in midfield has been immaculate, and even if his energy levels are declining, his intelligence is more than making up for that.
I still think he shouldn't be played too regularly so that we can move on from Carrick, eventually, but he's too reliable to be dropped from the first 11. Maybe if Blind would play with less aggression, we can see Carrick start to get phased out, but I'd rather see Carrick play there more often than Blind at the moment.
I still think he shouldn't be played too regularly so that we can move on from Carrick, eventually, but he's too reliable to be dropped from the first 11. Maybe if Blind would play with less aggression, we can see Carrick start to get phased out, but I'd rather see Carrick play there more often than Blind at the moment.
He was definitely a piano on Sunday.
I enjoyed this http://t.co/XQRHESOswF - nice to know what Carrick thought of that Neville quote. Henry Winter asks good questions which help make a more interesting interview/article.
I enjoyed this http://t.co/XQRHESOswF - nice to know what Carrick thought of that Neville quote. Henry Winter asks good questions which help make a more interesting interview/article.
Paul Scholes: It's amazing Manchester United midfielder Michael Carrick has so few caps for England
I expect Michael Carrick to play for England against Lithuania tonight. He is back in favour for his club and it will probably follow that he plays for his country too. He should have played more for England than the 31 caps he has so far. It is incredible to think that he has one fewer than Danny Welbeck on 32.
As I have said before in this column, no one appreciated Michael more than the midfielders who played alongside him at United. He is not a flash footballer. He doesn’t hit Hollywood passes. He doesn’t score lots of goals. But I loved playing alongside him. He was always in the right place. He gave me licence to play.
At 33, Michael is still easily capable of doing that for the other players in this current England team. He gives any attacking midfielder alongside him lots of the ball and also the licence to go forward without worrying about leaving their defence exposed. He would have been the perfect England midfield partner for Frank Lampard or Steven Gerrard, but most of the time it was those two who played together.
I don’t think he has ever been given a proper run in the England team. As soon as the team has had a bad result, it is Michael who has paid the price. He made his debut in 2001 but he has played just one tournament game, against Ecuador in the 2006 World Cup finals. He should have played more at international level, and had he been Spanish or German he probably would have done.
It is not for nothing that Michael has been the linchpin for United for so long. He has just never had the faith of the England managers he has played under.
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/...ick-has-so-few-caps-for-england-10137350.html
I expect Michael Carrick to play for England against Lithuania tonight. He is back in favour for his club and it will probably follow that he plays for his country too. He should have played more for England than the 31 caps he has so far. It is incredible to think that he has one fewer than Danny Welbeck on 32.
As I have said before in this column, no one appreciated Michael more than the midfielders who played alongside him at United. He is not a flash footballer. He doesn’t hit Hollywood passes. He doesn’t score lots of goals. But I loved playing alongside him. He was always in the right place. He gave me licence to play.
At 33, Michael is still easily capable of doing that for the other players in this current England team. He gives any attacking midfielder alongside him lots of the ball and also the licence to go forward without worrying about leaving their defence exposed. He would have been the perfect England midfield partner for Frank Lampard or Steven Gerrard, but most of the time it was those two who played together.
I don’t think he has ever been given a proper run in the England team. As soon as the team has had a bad result, it is Michael who has paid the price. He made his debut in 2001 but he has played just one tournament game, against Ecuador in the 2006 World Cup finals. He should have played more at international level, and had he been Spanish or German he probably would have done.
It is not for nothing that Michael has been the linchpin for United for so long. He has just never had the faith of the England managers he has played under.
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/...ick-has-so-few-caps-for-england-10137350.html
Back in favour for his club? What's Paul wittering on about now?
Scholes himself was hardly appreciated by England. Had Gerrard and Lampard not retired, Carrick would still be out in the cold.
Player Focus: Could Carrick be as Integral to England as he is to United?
Two strangely similar stats clashed at Anfield on Sunday. Since Liverpool had switched to a 3-4-2-1 formation against United at Old Trafford in December, they had picked up 2.36 points per game as opposed to 1.6 in matches before that. And, before kick-off, in league games in which Michael Carrick had played an hour or more this season, Manchester United had picked up 2.31 points per game as opposed to 1.63 points when he had not. As it was, it was the Carrick factor that won out, even though he himself didn’t have his best game.
So why is Carrick so important to United, so obviously so that, having been left out of the 2014 World Cup squad, he is back in Roy Hodgson’s England squad? There are probably a range of factors at play, not least his experience: in a defence that, partly for tactical reasons and partly because of injury and suspension, has rarely been settled this season, the presence of the 33-year old brings a sense of composure and authority.
But he also seems a particularly good fit for Louis van Gaal, who has described him as being “a coach on the pitch”, a player who organizes and cajoles. Van Gaal has always liked a deep-lying playmaker in his sides, whether a centre-back who steps out from a back four as Frank Rijkaard did at Ajax or a player who sits just in front of the defensive line as, say, Stijn Schaars did at AZ Alkmaar. With the possible exception of Daley Blind, who is still adjusting to English football, Carrick is the only player in the United squad with both the positional awareness and the range of passing to take that role.
Of the players at United who can operate as a central defender, or as a very deep-lying midfielder, Carrick, at 89%, has the best pass completion rate – although it’s intriguing that Chris Smalling, a player who seems to have blossomed under Van Gaal since his sending off in the Manchester derby, should be second at 88.5%.
But it’s more than that. A lot of players that pick up the ball so deep end up with good pass completion rates because they never look to do more than shuffling the ball 10 yards on to another defender or a midfielder who then attempts something more difficult. Carrick, though, averages 5.7 long balls per game, more than any other United outfielder (of 114 long passes he’s attempted this season, 91 have found their target). Often those are exquisitely weighted passes into the path of an on-rushing team-mate; against Tottenham, for instance, he played one floated pass into the box for Juan Mata to run onto, creating a shooting opportunity. It was a ball that required an extraordinarily precise trajectory so that it dropped almost onto a moving player’s foot. Carrick is registering good pass completion rates despite playing difficult passes.
Slightly surprisingly, Carrick doesn’t score that well in terms of ball-winning. He only averages 1.4 tackles per game, the 12th highest figure at United this season (although it is more than Smalling) and 1.4 interceptions per game, also the 12th highest figure. The 0.8 aerial duels he wins per game, meanwhile, leaves him only 17th. That, perhaps, suggests why he is better deployed as a central midfielder or as one of three central defenders than in a defensive pair. And there is also something to be said for his positional sense; just by taking up the right position, Carrick can stymy attacks, forcing opponents to change their angle of approach or to attempt riskier passes.
It’s little wonder that Van Gaal was so keen to get Carrick to sign the contract extension he agreed last week. He’s a player who seems always to have had to fight for recognition in England – and it is true that he was badly spooked when United lost to Barcelona in the 2009 Champions League final. But it’s also true that when Carrick has played an hour or more in the league this season, United have lost only once. At the moment, he feels a vital part of the Van Gaal project and if his form continues, he may yet become central to England’s plans for Euro 2016.
From whoscored.com
Two strangely similar stats clashed at Anfield on Sunday. Since Liverpool had switched to a 3-4-2-1 formation against United at Old Trafford in December, they had picked up 2.36 points per game as opposed to 1.6 in matches before that. And, before kick-off, in league games in which Michael Carrick had played an hour or more this season, Manchester United had picked up 2.31 points per game as opposed to 1.63 points when he had not. As it was, it was the Carrick factor that won out, even though he himself didn’t have his best game.
So why is Carrick so important to United, so obviously so that, having been left out of the 2014 World Cup squad, he is back in Roy Hodgson’s England squad? There are probably a range of factors at play, not least his experience: in a defence that, partly for tactical reasons and partly because of injury and suspension, has rarely been settled this season, the presence of the 33-year old brings a sense of composure and authority.
But he also seems a particularly good fit for Louis van Gaal, who has described him as being “a coach on the pitch”, a player who organizes and cajoles. Van Gaal has always liked a deep-lying playmaker in his sides, whether a centre-back who steps out from a back four as Frank Rijkaard did at Ajax or a player who sits just in front of the defensive line as, say, Stijn Schaars did at AZ Alkmaar. With the possible exception of Daley Blind, who is still adjusting to English football, Carrick is the only player in the United squad with both the positional awareness and the range of passing to take that role.
Of the players at United who can operate as a central defender, or as a very deep-lying midfielder, Carrick, at 89%, has the best pass completion rate – although it’s intriguing that Chris Smalling, a player who seems to have blossomed under Van Gaal since his sending off in the Manchester derby, should be second at 88.5%.
But it’s more than that. A lot of players that pick up the ball so deep end up with good pass completion rates because they never look to do more than shuffling the ball 10 yards on to another defender or a midfielder who then attempts something more difficult. Carrick, though, averages 5.7 long balls per game, more than any other United outfielder (of 114 long passes he’s attempted this season, 91 have found their target). Often those are exquisitely weighted passes into the path of an on-rushing team-mate; against Tottenham, for instance, he played one floated pass into the box for Juan Mata to run onto, creating a shooting opportunity. It was a ball that required an extraordinarily precise trajectory so that it dropped almost onto a moving player’s foot. Carrick is registering good pass completion rates despite playing difficult passes.
Slightly surprisingly, Carrick doesn’t score that well in terms of ball-winning. He only averages 1.4 tackles per game, the 12th highest figure at United this season (although it is more than Smalling) and 1.4 interceptions per game, also the 12th highest figure. The 0.8 aerial duels he wins per game, meanwhile, leaves him only 17th. That, perhaps, suggests why he is better deployed as a central midfielder or as one of three central defenders than in a defensive pair. And there is also something to be said for his positional sense; just by taking up the right position, Carrick can stymy attacks, forcing opponents to change their angle of approach or to attempt riskier passes.
It’s little wonder that Van Gaal was so keen to get Carrick to sign the contract extension he agreed last week. He’s a player who seems always to have had to fight for recognition in England – and it is true that he was badly spooked when United lost to Barcelona in the 2009 Champions League final. But it’s also true that when Carrick has played an hour or more in the league this season, United have lost only once. At the moment, he feels a vital part of the Van Gaal project and if his form continues, he may yet become central to England’s plans for Euro 2016.
From whoscored.com
We have these 2 year cycles where Carrick suddenly becomes very much in vogue as far as England are concerned. He will get praise from all quarters. After the cycle ends he starts getting criticized again.
I don't actually think England deserve him after how much he has been overlooked.
Coach on the pitch? Maybe he should be the one who takes over as manager after Van Gaal has gone. I bet Giggs would love that.
Should have happend a long time ago especially given England's lack of quality central midfielders in recent years. Nothing surprising about him being ignored though. Scholes should have been the heart of the midifeld given his talent but was sidelined for attacking midfielders pretending to be central midfielders
Fact is had he been given a long run in his position instead of other players not playing their natural roles, England may well have been able to stand up and play football.
We all know Gerrard and Lampard were better individually, but where was the glue that held it together when shit hit the fan? When Owen Hargreaves played in a holding role, there was a lot of excitement surrounding England. Also at that time Carrick probably put in the best midfield display an England player has managed in years (though opposition was terrible).
The need for two forwards (whether it was Rooney and Heskey???? Or Rooney and Carroll????? Or Rooney and Wele) has always led to midfield being severely lacking in a legit holding player. Gerrard and Lampard were too gung ho to go toe-to-toe with the best, and it showed. They needed a player behind them pulling the strings.
Carrick was that guy.
We all know Gerrard and Lampard were better individually, but where was the glue that held it together when shit hit the fan? When Owen Hargreaves played in a holding role, there was a lot of excitement surrounding England. Also at that time Carrick probably put in the best midfield display an England player has managed in years (though opposition was terrible).
The need for two forwards (whether it was Rooney and Heskey???? Or Rooney and Carroll????? Or Rooney and Wele) has always led to midfield being severely lacking in a legit holding player. Gerrard and Lampard were too gung ho to go toe-to-toe with the best, and it showed. They needed a player behind them pulling the strings.
Carrick was that guy.
Is a disgrace he doesn't have more England caps to be brutally honest.
When I first saw that, I thought he was referring to time we beat Spurs 5-2, when Carrick won us a penalty
lol, lampard/gerrard failed for over 10 years yet in the same time period Scholes and Carrick were both available yet hardly used in the right way by England.
Guess the England managers know more than Fergie eh? :P
Guess the England managers know more than Fergie eh? :P
How'd he do for England? I missed the game unfortunately.
Had nothing to do really as England were on the attack for most of the game.
It was the media picking the team. Lampard and Gerrard always had such hype around them, friends in the media championing their cause to a point they were both undroppable. The grief the manager would get by dropping one wasn't worth the benefits in their eyes IMO.
Meanwhile, Scholes and Carrick lead United to 3 UCL finals and a semi final in four years as well as 4 league title in 5 years.
For me it would be like Spain ignoring Xavi and Iniesta because Silva and Fabregas are media darlings who score and assist much more.
Not too happy about Carrick starting for England now, especially at his age, its a worry for injuries, especially as hes the cog in our team, that makes us click and play far better than when hes absent
He is finally getting recognition from the other fans, i don't see why a 33 year old Carrick is still playing for England though.
Carrick, at the moment, is the best deep-lying playmaker in the world.
Come at me.
Come at me.
Why not? Pirlo was still playing at a similar age for Italy.
Amen sista.
He doesn't do as much work for Italy as Carrick does for England, there are a lot of technical players on the Italian National team.
Me neither. He has become more injury prone since the start of the 2013-14 season. Before that I don't remember him being ever out long due to injury spells. He can give us another 2-3 quality seasons if used properly. England and Roy's new found love for him is worrying from the perspective of a United fan. Though I think Carrick is desperate to represent England in one of the major tournaments as a starter.
From what I saw, Delph did his running. Definitely not a particularly taxing match.
It's just the fact he'll play against Italy too which bugs me. Should've been 45-60 today and the full 90 against Italy.
But at the same time he's hardly played this season...not far off about 15 games for us right?
It's just the fact he'll play against Italy too which bugs me. Should've been 45-60 today and the full 90 against Italy.
But at the same time he's hardly played this season...not far off about 15 games for us right?
Problem is, he's at the age now where he should be retiring from International football, in order to prolong his career, not restart it!
I'd imagine that Van Gaal advocates the way he has been played.
90 against Lithuania 5 days after Liverpool followed by 45/60 4 days later so he's fresh for Villa 4 days after that.
That sort of game time is perfect for his match fitness and rythum right now.
These sorts of articles piss me off. I, along with others, have been saying this for the last 8 years yet no journalists were prepared to campaign for him because of the media clout Lampard and Gerrard carried.
If any journalist had the balls to write an article stating that either Gerrard or Lampard should be dropped in favour of Carrick they'd have been heckled by the likes of Hansen, Lawrenson, Lineker, Shearer, Redknapp as well as numerous other "journalists" and none had the balls or intelligence to do that.
Yet Carrick is the one central to a team that won 5 Premier Leagues in his time here and reached 3 UCL finals in 4 years. It was no coincidence. As I said in this (or another) thread just this week, ignoring the Carrick and Scholes partnership from 06-12 is the equivalent of Spain choosing to go with Fabregas and Silva over Xavi and Iniesta.
Couldn't agree more. Sticking with the Lampard/Gerrard association for so long cost England quite dearly. Not that I care that much (though I support England), but it's just a shame for Carrick and Scholes.
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Agree. I don't understand why he doesn't just tell them where to go. He's 33 now, why he's suddenly going to become a massive part of the team. Drop out the squad and extend his club playing career where he's appreciated.
The strange part is that your managers never really seemed to consider playing all three of them in a 4-3-3 in the center. Didn't even Barry get games ahead of him?
Rodwell and Scott Parker had games ahead of him.
This. He should tell England to feck off.
Totally forgot about that. Totally foking mental.
A lot of English United supporters must have cried watching them start ahead of Carrick.. Hope he retires from international football though,not like England team is strong enough to win anything in the recent future.. Needs to get through the match versus Italy without any injury..
England and all these journo's can feck off. Now all joining the Carrick wandbagon, just about 8 years too late. Wankers.
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