Carrick answers United's crisis with a sermon on humility and hard work

Five minutes and twenty five seconds. That's how long Michael Carrick spoke before taking the first question at his press conference on Friday, a monologue that sounded more like a sermon than a routine pre-match briefing. After the humiliating 4-1 defeat to Como in the Champions League in midweek, the Manchester United manager needed to say something more than the usual lines.

Carrick arrived at Carrington with his job hanging in the balance, well aware that the next opponent, Bournemouth, visits Old Trafford this Sunday in a match that could shape much of his immediate future. Rather than dodge the subject, he addressed it head on, opening the press conference with a line that set the tone for everything that followed: "I'm going to start today. I just want to say a few things. I think it's important."

From there, the 45 year old English coach launched into a speech built around words like "humility" and "hard work," invoking names from the club's history: Sir Alex Ferguson, Sir Matt Busby, Sir Bobby Charlton, Ryan Giggs and Wayne Rooney. The message was clear: remind the dressing room what it means to wear that shirt, and what standard they need to return to.

My responsibility is to put a team on the pitch that represents this club, that represents the fans, and that they can feel proud of the identity we show. We've drifted away from that in certain games recently, which I'm fully aware of and I'm definitely doing something about.Michael Carrick

Carrick didn't hold back on the self-criticism either. He admitted the team had "lost its way a bit," though he said he was convinced that identity can be restored. "I respect this club, I respect what it takes, because it means a great deal to me," he insisted, making clear this isn't just about results but about a daily approach to the work.

United behind closed doors

When it finally came time for questions, one reporter asked whether the rest of the dressing room shared the same conviction the manager was preaching. The answer was blunt.

Yes, I believe that. Yes, one hundred percent. And if that's not the case, this isn't the place for you. That spirit, that unity, that brotherhood need to be there. And they are there, and they're going to be there. I'll make sure of that one way or another. I'm just looking for the solutions to move forward, plain and simple.Michael Carrick

With his future hanging by a thread ahead of Sunday's clash with Bournemouth, he was also asked directly whether he still considers himself the right man to turn United's fortunes around. He didn't hesitate for a second: "Yes, one hundred percent, yes."

The message had been sent before any further analysis of the team: Carrick wants Sunday's game at Old Trafford to be the first step in a response that, by his own admission, has yet to show up on the pitch.