Carrick shrugs off Mainoo boos as Man Utd snatch 89th-minute Fulham point to equal worst Premier League start
Michael Carrick has insisted he takes "no negatives or offence" from the Manchester United supporters who booed his decision to substitute Kobbie Mainoo during Sunday's 1-1 draw at Fulham — a result that leaves the club on five points from five games, their joint-worst start to a Premier League campaign, matching the five taken at this stage of 2014-15.
United trailed at Craven Cottage after Lisandro Martinez's calamitous own goal, and with the visitors chasing the game Carrick withdrew Mainoo for Mason Mount in the 80th minute — a change loudly jeered by the travelling end. Matheus Cunha's deflected strike in the 89th minute at least spared United defeat, but the fallout from the substitution has dominated the aftermath of a scrappy afternoon in west London.
Mainoo was among United's best
Mainoo had been one of United's most assured performers on the day, completing 64 of his 68 passes, 27 of which came in the final third. Only Bryan Mbeumo (100 per cent) and Harry Maguire (95.8 per cent) bettered his 94.1 per cent pass accuracy among United's starters — making the call to withdraw him all the more contentious in the eyes of the fans.
But Carrick believes the reaction came from a place of frustration rather than anger, and revealed Mainoo himself is unperturbed.
"There are always going to be certain reactions when you're making changes. I've spoken to Kobbie after the game and he's absolutely fine."
"I understand at times when we are chasing the game, everyone's a little bit emotional. The supporters are — as they should be — desperate for us to do the right thing. But I don't take any negatives or offence to it. I think we've just got to try and keep doing the right things to get back into the game."
Carrick was full of praise for the travelling support, who he says stuck with the team throughout: "The supporters were unbelievable, I have to say, all the way through. They stuck with the boys and supported them. At least we've given them something small at the end to take from it, and I'm sure there's more to come."
Neville brands display 'absolutely pathetic'
The performance drew a scathing verdict from former United defender turned pundit Gary Neville, who labelled the display at Craven Cottage "absolutely pathetic".
Carrick, though, remains convinced the season can still be a success: "It's still a big season ahead. It's a long season, and you're going to have these spells through a season. That's part of the journey. It's not a sprint; it's a long effort."
"I'm not playing it down. We wanted more points, so I'm not saying everything's great. I understand the frustration. We wanted to be better, and we wanted to do other things. But deflation is certainly not what we have within the club and within the group. The players didn't have that on the pitch, and that's what will carry us through the season, without a doubt."
Opta gives United just 17% chance of top four
United head into the extended international break 12th in the Premier League table, with the Opta supercomputer assigning them only a 17 per cent chance of qualifying for next season's Champions League. Carrick is adamant there will be plenty of twists and turns before the campaign is decided, however.
Next up for United is a visit from Tottenham on October 10 — a side still winless and propping up the table after their own 3-2 defeat to Aston Villa.