Carrick Acknowledges Fan Support Amid Protest Plans

On January 17, following Manchester United’s victory over Manchester City, head coach Michael Carrick expressed his appreciation for the support of the club’s fans. He conveyed that he is “not offended” by the planned protest ahead of the Premier League match against Fulham this Sunday.

Carrick has maintained a 100% record in his second tenure as head coach, achieving notable victories against both Manchester City and Arsenal. This success has coincided with an improvement in the team’s performance after the dismissal of Ruben Amorim, propelling Manchester United into the Premier League’s top four for the first time this season. Despite these advancements, the 1958 fans’ group is determined to proceed with their protest.

The group anticipates an attendance of between 5,000 and 6,000 supporters at their protest march, which is set to begin one hour before kick-off and converge at the ‘Law, Best, Charlton’ statue outside Old Trafford. However, quantifying exact numbers is challenging due to the nature of the gathering.

Organizers have indicated that they have “a few surprises in store.” They assert, “Our protest has never been about performances on the pitch, not now, and not once in the last 21 years. We are judging a dysfunctional ownership model that has repeatedly failed.”

In his autobiography, Carrick described the Glazer family as “great owners,” a sentiment that does not resonate with many fans, regardless of their intentions towards the protest. Anti-Glazer chants have become a staple at every Manchester United match, and recently, minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has been the target of negative sentiments from supporters.

When asked about the protest, Carrick chose to emphasize the strong support he and his team have experienced rather than engage with the broader issue of ownership. “I don’t think it [the protest] connects with the two wins, to be honest,” he stated.

“I fully respect the supporters. I’m not offended by it or anything, and the players certainly aren’t. The support we’ve felt within the stadium has been of the highest level, and I’m confident it will continue. The connection we’ve established over the past couple of weeks has been quite special, and we need to keep building on that moving forward.”