Carrick: United poised for late grind

Midfielder wary of tough final stretch

By Zain Alvi | 12th April 2012

Manchester United midfielder Michael Carrick is prepared to fight for the Premier League title till the very end and based on his instincts, the midfielder feels that there may not be another option if the Red Devils are to retain their crown.

While cross-town rivals cruised through the first half of the season with a series of emphatic wins, United hung on to slender ones of their own to remain within striking distance.

In recent weeks, that striking distance ballooned up to an eight point lead for United with six fixtures to go.

Yesterday, that changed slightly as United’s 1-0 defeat at Wigan, coupled with City’s 4-0 thrashing of West Bromwich Albion, set the title race up for a thrilling finale.

United’s advantage is now down to five points with five matches remaining – one of those matches being a tricky visit to the Etihad Stadium on April 30.

City boss Roberto Mancini still believes that United’s winning spirit will guide them to a second consecutive year of domestic glory and although Carrick is fully aware of his team’s tough mentality, he knows opponents will contest their superiority till the very end.

“We’ve been having to deal with this for a while. The longer the game goes, the harder it becomes,” Carrick said about the plethora of United’s difficult matches this season.

Elaborating on the defensive solidarity of most teams facing United, the midfielder added: “It’s difficult with so many men around the edge of the box. Trying to find a pass, trying to be patient, making that decision whether to pass or shoot, trying to keep the ball and keep the pressure on.

“But that’s how it is and we score so many late goals by working on teams and breaking them down in the end. It’s just patience, really – keeping a high tempo but at the same time being patient and believing we’ll get the goal.”

It is this very patience that guided United to decisive recent wins over Blackburn Rovers and Queens Park Rangers, with Carrick also enjoying influential performances in both fixtures.