“They hire me to be kind and calm with the players, and then at the first sign of trouble along the way, that’s the very characteristic they point to as the problem.”
Carlo Ancelotti had only won three Champions Leagues when he argued he could be fired for the same qualities for which he was hired. Ancelotti could afford to be philosophical about it, which underlined his innate calmness, and Real Madrid, having sacked him once, rehired him and he won a further two Champions Leagues, before they sacked him again.
The words came in the Italian’s book ‘Quiet Leadership’. The title could serve as a two-word description of Michael Carrick’s approach.
He was the antidote to the more charismatic leadership of Ruben Amorim. As Manchester United’s season started at Hull on Saturday, one manager was hyperactive on the touchline: City’s Sergej Jakirovic. Carrick was a beard-stroking onlooker or, more often, impassive as his side lost 2-0.
His side felt similarly lifeless, though Carrick demurred. “That doesn’t mean you’re passive just because you get beat,” he argued.
It was nevertheless hard to shake off the impression that this was a team taking after their manager. United were too slow and sedate, lacking urgency or aggression. They started the season in a slumber, albeit lacking the precision in possession Carrick used to lend from the base of the midfield.
Carrick’s personality made him the right man at the right time last season, an answer to the drama. A question now is if he can be a galvanising force in the long term. A mild-mannered man suggested his public persona conceals what happens inside: both inside him and inside the dressing room. There nevertheless has rarely been the sense that Carrick inherited his former manager Sir Alex Ferguson’s infamous hairdryer. He doesn’t have the air of a ranter and raver.
“There’s a difference in calmness, you know?” he said. “I’m talking to you quite calm, but I’m not exactly calm inside and enjoying the day. So there’s a big difference. I played here for a long time. You don’t get to play here for a long time without just going day by day, the results, the ups and downs, but you just carry on as normal.
“It’s 100 per cent not that, and trust me, it’s not that. It just doesn’t mean that we all have to shout and scream and come out and create some chaos just because of it. Inside we’re hurting, the boys know, and we need to get better. But the calmness doesn’t mean that there’s no emotion in it, for sure.”
The reference to his playing career felt pertinent. Carrick lasted a dozen years at Old Trafford and played 464 games in part because of an emotional equilibrium which was reflected in a consistent level of performance. Others crashed and burned. Managers more noted for their explosions of temper, whether Ferguson or Jose Mourinho, valued him.
Carrick’s way is to give as little away as possible. The global obsession with United can bring calls for a response. His will not be performative. “There’s a lot goes on outside of our football club,” he said. “I understand the responsibility I’ve got, but it doesn’t make me do things differently just because of that.”
It nevertheless raises the issue of what he will do. His expensive new midfield were outmanoeuvred and outfought by a Hull duo who cost about £1m, or about £82m less than Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos. A side without an out-and-out striker did not look like scoring; Carrick can talk about the benefits of having versatile forwards but he had the wrong combination at Hull. United conceded twice from set-pieces and revived the theory they struggle to play against teams with a back five. Carrick offered few clues what he will do.
That does not necessarily mean he will do nothing. One of the most impressive elements of his successful audition for the full-time job came in the way United reacted to setbacks. They only lost twice under Carrick last season. They then delivered two of their best results of the season. After going down 2-1 at Newcastle, they beat the eventual Europa League winners Aston Villa 3-1. After being beaten 2-1 by Leeds, they triumphed over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
Yet Hull’s status as relegation favourites, in their first top-flight game for nine years, made this much the worst result of Carrick’s time in charge. It came on a day that can set the tone for the season, when he could first unveil his signings, his vision. United were dismal. The game seemed to pass Carrick by.
But his subtlety was a strength as a player. It needs to be again. Ancelotti was often accused of doing nothing because he was not demonstrative. But he usually knew when to do something, and what. And that may be the test for Carrick. He is averse to overreacting. The key is when to react, and how.
