❤️ Michael Carrick’s letter to Manchester United fans.
“Dear United fans,
I've had the immense privilege of leading Manchester United, the football club that I love.
There are very few who get to live that and feel it, and for that I'm incredibly grateful.
With that comes huge responsibility, and to be at Manchester United, you need to understand exactly what that means.
It's different to anywhere else.
Ultimately, you need to push to be the best, but there is a culture, there are values and there are behaviours that you have to live by and respect, which have been built over a long period of time.
It's a football club that is unique, with substance and history that cannot be ignored.
This is what inspired me every single day.
I want to say a big thank you to the supporters. I must say, you are a special, rare breed.
We've had some great times this year and moments we'll all remember. The best thing about being in my position was seeing so many of you lose yourselves in the emotion of those moments, leaving the stadium desperate to come back again next time.
I just wanted to give you something back.
That love never dies.
I know we've not had the results lately, but you've shown me nothing but love and support in times when the easiest thing, and what most end up doing, would be to turn the other way.
That means more than a win or two.
That's what makes you who you are.
That's why I fell in love with this club all those years ago.
A special thank you to my coaching staff. You gave me everything you had, every single day, and I couldn't have asked for any more. I'm incredibly grateful for your loyalty, hard work and support throughout.
To all the staff behind the scenes, thank you for everything you do for this football club. So much of your work goes unseen, but it never goes unappreciated.
And to the players, thank you for your efforts and the moments we've shared. I wish you all the very best for what's ahead.
I want nothing but success for Manchester United. This club has been such a big part of my life and that will never change. I'll always be proud to have played my part and I'll always want the very best for it.
I'll be right there with you from now on, watching from the sidelines, cheering the lads on”.
🚨🇺🇸 BREAKING: Manchester United appoint Mauricio Pochettino as new head coach, here we go!
Deal done and green light from US Federation as Poch has agreed all terms on Wednesday.
New era at #MUFC. 🆕🇦🇷
🚨 EXCLUSIVE: Manchester United finalising deal to appoint Mauricio Pochettino if ultimate decision made to replace Michael Carrick. 54yo lined up & terms being done with camp. #MUFC yet to contact US but straight-forward should plan proceed @TheAthleticFC https://t.co/YTEGRxbVpF
🚨 Manchester United intend to relieve Michael Carrick of duties. #MUFC say no final decision & nothing set in stone but work undertaken on replacements + multiple sources anticipate change before Liverpool. W/ @lauriewhitwell@AdamCrafton_@TheAthleticFC https://t.co/E1W3QbGYx1
🚨Gian Piero Gasperini on Manchester United’s incredible 3-2 comeback against Roma at Old Trafford:
🗣️ Gian Piero Gasperini: Honestly, coming here tonight to face Manchester United, we thought we had them figured out. We knew what they could do, we knew their weaknesses, and in the first half, I think we executed our plan perfectly.
We had the ball, we controlled the game, created opportunities and scored twice. Everything was going according to plan. I genuinely believed we had taken the game away from them.
At half-time, I went into the dressing room and told the boys to calm down. I told them to slow the game, keep possession and not give Manchester United any reason to believe they could come back.
I told them they had done enough in the first half. Looking back now, I think that was where I made my biggest mistake.
I had forgotten something very important. This was Manchester United at Old Trafford, in the Champions League. You can never assume a game is finished against a club with that history.
We underestimated them in the second half, and they punished us. But what surprised me most wasn’t just the comeback. It was the young player who came on and completely changed the rhythm of the game.
Suddenly, United were finding passes between our lines. The ball was moving quicker, their forwards were receiving it in dangerous areas, and we were struggling to get control back.
I looked towards the touchline because I thought perhaps Amad had moved into a different position. But it wasn’t Amad.
I asked my assistant, “Who is that young player?” He told me, “That’s Lacey. He’s only 19.”
I honestly couldn’t believe it. A 19-year-old coming into a game with that intensity, against an experienced European side, and immediately demanding the ball like he’s been playing at this level for ten years.
Within minutes, he found Cunha with a wonderful pass, and suddenly Manchester United had a goal. You could feel the entire stadium waking up.
That was the moment everything changed. Our players started looking over their shoulders, the crowd became louder, and United suddenly had belief.
I have coached against many talented young players, but what Lacey showed tonight was special. He wasn’t afraid to take responsibility, he wasn’t hiding, and he wasn’t playing safe just because the occasion was big.
He wanted the ball. He wanted to make things happen. And every time he received it, he looked forward.
You can prepare for Bruno Fernandes. You can prepare for Cunha, Mbeumo and Amad. But sometimes a young player arrives with something you haven’t planned for, and that’s exactly what happened tonight.
Today, Michael Carrick deserves credit for making that substitution. But if you ask me what changed this game, I won’t hesitate to say it was the moment Lacey stepped onto that pitch.
Perhaps Bruno Fernandes played his part, and United’s other players responded, but Lacey brought a different energy and gave them a new way to hurt us.
We had Manchester United exactly where we wanted them, but we allowed one young player to change the entire story of the match.
And that’s football. You can have the perfect first half, you can score twice, you can control everything, but if you lose concentration for even ten minutes at Old Trafford, the whole stadium can turn against you.
I leave disappointed because we had this game in our hands. But I also leave with a new name in my notebook.
Lacey is 19 years old, and if he continues playing with that courage, Manchester United may have discovered a very special player.
🚨🎙️ | Michael Carrick on Shea Lacey's assist:
"Delighted for Shea. Love him to BITS. He's SO talented. Desperate to do well. It's such a good pick out there [his pass].
"You see Matheus [Cunha] takes it great on his back foot and he moves Mateus inside second half and put Bryan [Mbeumo] out wide on the left just to try and give ourselves better balance.
"But he's certainly well liked, Shea. The boys RESPECT him a lot. You know, he's desperate to do well, and he was even defending at right back towards the end there, which I was joking with him about after the game.
"But it just shows what he's prepared to do and to see young players take opportunities like that. There's not many better things, I must say..." ❤️ [Prime]