Man Utd coach Michael Carrick reveals why Andrey Santos is a ‘dream’ and what he told Mainoo amid World Cup agony

MICHAEL CARRICK had another good result on Thursday. His daughter, Louise, passed her A-levels. Carrick’s children’s examinations delayed a summer holiday but the Manchester United coach managed a brief getaway during his six weeks off. Carrick during his sit-down with journalists United won 12 out of 17 under Carrick last season Credit: Alamy In a World Cup summer, the break felt too inordinate for Carrick, champing at the bit to oversee his first pre-season as United head coach. United have returned to Carton House for their training base after a productive week there in April. Sign up for the Man United newsletter Thank you! Carrick has been on the County Kildare hotel’s 18-hole golf course but stresses he hasn’t lined his wallet through any wagers on the fairways. United are teed up for a promising start to the new season. Excluding summers kiboshed by Covid-19, they have spent their entire pre-season in Europe for the first time since 2002. United’s first two fixtures are against newly-promoted Hull City and Ipswich Town. Twenty years after he was unveiled as their major summer signing with United in the midst of a title drought, Carrick faces a similar challenge from the dugout. “I have to say coming in to start with as a player was probably the biggest challenge,” Carrick admits. “I’m not saying this is easier, but it was the biggest challenge. “It was new. It was a massive step up, coming into a whole different environment of something that I didn’t know. SUN VEGAS WELCOME OFFER: GET UP TO £100 BONUS “So that was a huge challenge of adapting to that, and then obviously being here for so long, in different ways, it kind of becomes a bit more of a natural environment and you kind of get used to being around it and it becomes normal in some ways. Most read in Sport “Obviously, I’m in a different position, but because I understand a lot of the other things, it doesn’t make it as big of a jump as I understand the role, and it’s a great role, don’t get me wrong, and it’s a huge, huge role. “But it doesn’t feel that way necessarily all the time because it feels pretty natural. “That doesn’t mean it’s easy, but it’s just what I know for so long, and 20 years is a long time to understand the club and what’s worked at times and what maybe hasn’t worked. “So trying to use those learnings and experiences to help everybody else, really.” There are parallels with the midfield Carrick nestled into back in 2006 and the midfield he is now coaching. New signings Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans, as well as Kobbie Mainoo and Mason Mount, are all technical-based players. Carrick partnered Paul Scholes, reinvented as a deep-lying playmaker, when he joined the club. United won their first title in four years in 2007. Tielemans joined United last month Carrick says Santos is a ‘dream’ Credit: Getty That success seems to be influencing the current overhaul of an area where United are still lacking a specialist defensive midfielder. “We enjoy seeing different things and your eye naturally takes you to different parts of the game,” Carrick explains. “We can all watch the game and see something a little bit different. “Just being a midfielder, that’s kind of how I’ve seen the game. In some ways, it helps because you’re kind of connected to all parts of the team over time. “I’m not saying you have to be a midfielder to be a good coach, but I think it’s just how my reference points are in some ways. “And what I feel’s worked over the years, what kind of football I think the supporters want to see as well, and hopefully that fits together. “Naturally, midfield is a big part of the teams that I’ve coached and been part of, because that’s just naturally how I see the game. “Andrey, for such a young man to come in the way he’s come in, his character, his personality is a dream. Literally, he’s a dream. “He’s so positive, so mature, so switched on. He wants to learn. Santos joined United from Chelsea in a £50m deal Credit: Getty Santos has started in all five of United’s pre-season games Credit: Getty “He comes in straight away and he’s trying to help other players and talk in games and communicate in games, and has that personality where he’s got a real substance to him. Delighted to have him. “Youri’s a little bit more obvious, probably because we’ve seen an awful lot of him and we all know him. “But again, the character, the personality, the presence, and the quality on top. “But being a team player and understanding that and connecting everyone together, I think it’s important we got that right. The two midfielders in particular, I think it’ll give us an awful lot and will give us an awful lot moving forward.” United want one more midfielder, though. “I think we always want to strengthen in every way, so it depends on, is it going to make us better and is it going to help us, and in what ways is it going to help us? And not for the sake of it. It can’t be for the sake of it. “But, of course, we want to improve, we need to improve. It’s something that we’re working towards, for sure.” Carrick was in dialogue with Mainoo during the World Cup after he failed to get a kick for England. The 21-year-old was the only outfield player Thomas Tuchel did not give minutes to. Carrick had an identical experience under Fabio Capello during England’s miserable World Cup in South Africa in 2010. Mainoo didn’t get a kick at the World Cup Credit: Getty Carrick has started Mainoo whenever he has been available Credit: Getty “He (Mainoo)’s been great since he’s come back,” Carrick enthuses. “I know from the outside you can look in and everyone goes, ‘You should be happy to be there’. And there’s a part of that, and not taking it for granted, for sure. “But there’s the other part of as a human being and then as a professional, you want to be playing and so I’ve been there, so I understand it.” “What did he say to him? Try and appreciate being there as much as you can as well, and try and make the most of it, but then keep doing the right thing and being ready. “In the end, it worked out as it is, but then he comes back and he’s quite happy to be home with us, and he’s been great this week, come straight back into it.” Didn’t he find it odd that Tuchel did not play him at all? “Listen, everyone’s got their opinion. There’s a whole squad of good players, that’s why it’s the World Cup and it’s England, so it’s not for me to say that. “The biggest thing for me is Kobbie’s in a really good place. I think he feels that, he’s come back and he’s come home and he’s ready for a big season. “And seeing him this week, it’s been great to have him back and get back on the pitch on Saturday.” Amazon are filming our sit-down for the start of United’s All or Nothing documentary series, due to air next autumn. United are the latest Premier League club to sign up for an All or Nothing series Carrick helped United to their last title win in 2013 Credit: Getty – Contributor As a United player for 12 years and now seven months in as head coach, Carrick is accustomed to the sight of lenses. “They’re standing there, so I’ve got to be polite,” he laughs. “They’ve been fantastic and respectful as well, and we’ve got to work through it, of course. “But yeah, it probably seems bigger from the outside than it is day-to-day when we’re working in it as well.” Carrick will hope they record plenty more good results. Comment now