Michael Carrick delivered a terse response to a TNT Sports reporter on Wednesday night after she questioned his Manchester United side’s “character” following a disappointing 2-1 defeat to Newcastle United.
‘We’ve Lost One Game, Alright?’ Carrick Rubbishes ‘Character’ Claims
The loss at St James’ Park brought a sour end to Carrick’s otherwise flawless interim tenure.
After steering the club to six wins and a draw, the United boss watched his team produce a lethargic display that allowed Newcastle to snatch a late winner.
When reporter Jules Breach suggested during the post-match interview that the character shown in recent games had been missing, Carrick immediately cut her off.
“It wasn’t. It wasn’t,” he insisted.
An awkward silence followed as Breach pushed for clarification on what he felt went wrong. Carrick pushed back against the narrative, pointing out that this was their first loss under his watch.
“It’s easy to feel that just because you don’t win a game of football,” he explained.
“We’ve lost one game, alright? We haven’t played well enough, but in the grand scheme of things, we’re in a decent position.”
The game itself saw United go behind after Bruno Fernandes fouled Anthony Gordon in the box, allowing the Newcastle winger to score from the spot.
Casemiro headed home the equalizer shortly after, but the visitors failed to capitalize on a second-half advantage when Jacob Ramsey received a harsh red card.
Carrick admitted he was “bitterly disappointed” that his side didn’t “kick on” against the ten men. Substitute William Osula punished them in the 90th minute, curling a stunning effort past Harry Maguire to secure the win.
Paul Scholes also weighed in on social media, criticizing the team’s downturn in performance.
Despite the defeat, United remain third, but the gap to sixth-placed Liverpool now sits at just three points. Carrick refused to make excuses but acknowledged his side fell well short of their best.
