Every word of Michael Carrick’s Everton post-match press conference | OneFootball

Michael Carrick has been addressing the media in the post-match press conference after a hard-won 1-0 victory over Everton at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Is Sesko frustrated because he’s not starting?

The first question was “this was the second game running that Benjamin’s come off the bench and got a goal. Can you just talk about his impact and what he’s been like in the squad? Because I would imagine he’d quite like to start sometime.”

Carrick replied: “Yeah, there’s a bit of that. I think it’s not always as extreme as well. I think sometimes, I get why everyone’s talking about it and making a bigger deal of it. But I’ve got a really good relationship with Ben. We’ve had some really good conversations and he’s in a really good place. And part of us is helping him take his steps in development and growing him as a player.”

“Sometimes that’s little steps, sometimes that’s bigger steps. He’s taking some huge steps recently in terms of the goals he scored and the impact and that confidence and that belief that he’s playing with now is great to see. We’ve obviously got to manage that as well. And we’ve got some good forwards, so it’s one of those decisions that we got to try and get right.”

“But I’ve got no problem with Ben, and he hasn’t got an issue. He obviously wants to play, but I can’t speak highly enough of how he’s been and the work he’s putting in and his attitude to come on and do what he’s done again. I thought he’s finished just with so much confidence and belief and ruthless finish, which sums up where he’s at at the minute, which is great to see.”

On Matheus Cunha

The next reporter asked “Similarly with Matheus Cunha, I just wonder what it’s been like getting to know him over the last few weeks? Because he didn’t start your first few games in charge, but his contribution for the goal plus his defensive shift, which his teammates seemed to really appreciate, must be really pleasing as well.”

The boss answered: “Yeah, I think that was where we were tonight. I think we had to put a lot into the game and everyone did. I think credit to Everton, they made us dig deep. It wasn’t the prettiest or the most perfect game football-wise for us.”

“But I think, like you say, Matheus, the defensive work, you put in the effort, the work rate in the end is a moment that we know we’ve got in a group to create something made the difference for us. But it comes from him defending really well in a deep position to then create that transition.”

“He’s a great character, Matheus. Obviously got to know him. Again, I keep saying it, but we’ve not been together that long, really. Sometimes when you get frustrated with things that you see for the team, not as an individual, but you’ve got to take a deep breath and think we’re trying to put things in place. The players are still learning. They’re getting to know me. I’m getting to know them. Another big moment for Matheus. He’s had a number of them since the very start, starting at City when he came off the bench. He’s had a big impact again today for us. He’s in a good place as well.”

“How much belief do you think the team can take on a weekend where teams around you dropped points?,” he was asked. “Maybe earlier in the season, they weren’t taking those opportunities, but that must really help while you try and chase a Champions League place.”

“Yeah, and it takes a lot of different things to win games as well,” he answered. “Sometimes it’ll come a little bit easier and it’ll click and the goals will flow and you attack well. The game is a lot more in your favour. Other times, like tonight, credit to Everton, it was a bit of a tight game in some ways, and then it was a little bit sticky. It wasn’t flowing as much for us.”

“But I think the spirit and the belief and the trust that the lads are gaining between themselves and between all of us, I think, is important. And we spoke about that before the game, really. Sometimes you got to rely on that and to have it, don’t take it for granted. They had it tonight. They needed everybody to put in that little bit extra. In the end, that’s what we got out of the game.”

On the four summer signings

The next reporter asked: “Just on Ben and Matheus, and obviously, Bryan’s involved in the goal and Senne in goal as well played well. Obviously, in the recent past, we’ve seen that players who come and play for Man United maybe struggle a little bit. You’ve been in that situation as well, coming to this club and where the spotlight, maybe the scrutiny is a little bit different. How impressed have you been with those four guys since you’ve arrived?”

The Wallsend man replied: “Yeah, massively. I think that’s part of it sometimes is learning to cope with it. I’ve said it recently, I said it when I first came. Sometimes it was easy. It’s maybe rightly so at times, not so on others, of just expecting players to perform. Sometimes there’s a lot more goes into it. Then feeling the environment, being comfortable in your surroundings to be able to perform is important. Sometimes it takes a little bit of getting used to, really. Whether you’re starting or coming off the bench. That’s part of our job to try and manage that.”

“But yeah, particularly, Senne, I thought he was outstanding tonight. I think as a goalkeeper, really, you couldn’t expect, you couldn’t hope for much more. Safe hands, calm, composed, came and punched when you needed to and calmed things down. I thought it was an exemplary performance. So it was delighted for him.”

More on Senne Lammens

Carrick was then asked if he sees parallels between Lammens and United legend, Edwin van der Sar.

“Yeah, I got to be careful what I say,” he said, “I definitely see that there are similarities. Without comparing them. I don’t want to be comparing them because I don’t think it’s fair to Senne. But there’s definitely similarities. For me, as a goalkeeper, to be reliable, to be trustworthy. Instead of creating the chaos, you want them to take the chaos away and calm things down I think Senne is that.”

“He’s quite quiet at times and unassuming, but he’s got a real steel in this. To step in, it’s a big, big role for some. And others are talking there about coping and just being comfortable in the environment. Sometimes it takes time, sometimes not. But how he’s gone about it at the moment is that calmness, that composure. I think it does help those in front of him an awful lot.”

The next reporter asked: “Just on the signings and Senne in particular, Michael, is he maybe an example of how this club is starting to get recruitment right? Because he’s a young goalkeeper, was relatively inexperienced in Belgium, and he’s obviously got what you’re talking about to play for United. There’s been countless games this season where teams are throwing crosses at him, and he just deals with them really calm. Is he, do you think, an example of maybe how things are turning here in the club are starting to get things right in terms of quality of players and character as well?”

He replied: “In some ways, yeah, I think it’s difficult to For me to talk about the past or when I’ve not been here. But certainly the boys at the moment who have came in recently are all playing a huge part for us, which is ideal. A major part of it is the character and the personality and that is a major attribute to have, especially playing here. So Senne… The jump that he’s had is a big jump, no disrespect, but it’s a huge jump, the one he made. And to take it like he has done and just get on more things speaks volumes of his personality. And he’s so able to just deal with the environment and play at that level.”

“Listen, that was a tough place. That last 15 minutes, the amount of crosses and corners and things that you had to deal with and a couple of shots that he just catches and takes the sting out of it. So to be able to do that in such a manner was obviously pleasing for us.”

Featured image by Carl Recine/Getty Images

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