Carrick fires back at questions over his United future ahead of Leeds trip

Five games without a win carry weight, and questions about his job security are only growing louder. But anyone expecting to find Michael Carrick rattled or defensive ahead of Sunday's trip to Elland Road is going to be disappointed.

The Manchester United manager made it clear in Friday's press conference that his own future is the last thing on his mind heading into the clash with Leeds United. And he didn't mince words about it.

I don't take it personally. I'm not thinking about how I'm going to survive this or what I need to do to protect myself. That's not what matters. This is about the club and about winning football matches.Michael Carrick

The winless run is already enough of a headache, but this week brought a couple of extra complications. First, there was Lisandro Martinez's heated exchange with football director Jason Wilcox, which stirred things up behind the scenes. Second, there was an awkward revelation from Nicky Butt, who claimed Carrick had told him, before taking over at United in January, that management "wasn't for him." Carrick wasn't about to let that one slide.

"I wouldn't be here if that were the case"

The manager addressed the claim head on, posing a question as simple as it was pointed: would it make any sense for him to be sitting in United's dugout today if he genuinely believed coaching wasn't for him?

I definitely wouldn't be here if that were the case, would I? It's the best role I could have. I feel a real privilege to be in this position and a huge responsibility, but also a real desire to make a difference and to succeed here. So yeah, I'm enjoying it.Michael Carrick

There's something in the way Carrick speaks that sounds more like genuine conviction than a message crafted to calm the waters. He even talked about tough moments being part of the process of becoming great at this job: if you're not ready to deal with the hard times, he said, you'll never get far. So, in his own words, it's about riding out the storm and still enjoying the journey.

Meanwhile, the schedule shows no mercy. The trip to Elland Road arrives just when a win is needed most, one that could snap the losing streak and quiet, even briefly, the doubts starting to surround his tenure. Because no matter what gets said in a press conference, football is usually judged on results, and United need one urgently.