Michael Carrick and Leny Yoro full press conference | Atlético Madrid UCL fixture

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Michael Carrick and Leny Yoro on Manchester United's pressure, form and Atletico Madrid Champions League test

This is Manchester United head coach Michael Carrick and player Leny Yoro's pre-match press conference, mainly covering the team's early-season form, outside pressure, Bruno Fernandes' form and the Champions League challenge against Atletico Madrid. Carrick stresses that the pressure comes from internal standards and that difficult spells are part of building; Yoro says the squad has spoken honestly and is not worried by the slow start.

► Subscribe to Sky Sports News: http://bit.ly/SkySportsNewsSub ► Watch Sky Sports with NOW: https://bit.ly/NOWSkySportsYT Michael Carrick and Leny Yoro speak to the media ahead of Manchester United's Champions League fixture against Atlético Madrid. SkySportsNews SkySports manutd ► For the latest developments on this story: https://qrcode.skysports.com/skysports/topstories ► For the latest transfer news: https://qrcode.skysports.com/skysports/TransferCentre More from Sky Sports on YouTube: ► Sky Sports: http://bit.ly/SkySportsSub ► Sky Sports Boxing: http://bit.ly/SSBoxingSub ► Sky Sports Cricket: http://bit.ly/SubscribeSkyCricket ► Sky Sports Darts: https://bit.ly/SubSkySportsDarts ► Sky Sports Football: http://bit.ly/SSFootballSub ► Sky Sports F1: http://bit.ly/SubscribeSkyF1 ► Sky Sports Golf: https://bit.ly/SubscribeSkySportsGolf ► Sky Sports Premier League: https://bit.ly/SubscribeSkySportsPL ► Sky Sports Retro: http://bit.ly/SkySportsRetroSub ► Sky Sports WSL: https://bit.ly/SubscribeSkySportsWSL ► TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@skysportsnews ► X: https://x.com/SkySportsNews ► Website: https://www.skysports.com ► To enquire about licensing Sky Sports content, you can find out more here: https://www.skysports.com/more-sports/news/31754/11434270/license-sky-sports-footage

Transcript

Spurs game and ahead to tomorrow as well. Have you been able to put your finger on it as to maybe the lack of performance especially at the start to kind of ensure you do start strong tomorrow evening? >> Well, we definitely need to start strong tomorrow evening. I think that's pretty obvious, you know, coming to to u to a place like this against a very good team with a lot of experience in this competition and um we we know what we're we know what we're expecting tomorrow night, you know, and um we'll be ready for it. You know, the boys are ready for it. I think uh the way we responded in the second half u in particular and um I think you could see that. So that gives me a lot of faith that I had already in the boys that that um the hunger and the eager to to to put things right. >> And just a question for Lenny as well. Lenny, first of all, congrats on your debut for France over the break. Um just wonder for the from the players perspective, there was so much positivity going into the season. Have you guys had, you know, meetings away from training, away from the staff just to talk about improving kind of the slow start to the season? >> Yeah, I think this is something really important as a team. Um, sometimes we have to speak, say the truth, and this is something we did. This is something we we're going to do in the in the future as well. Um, but yeah, this is something we have to >> Hello. Um, I'm Elizabeth Conway from BBC Sport. Um, Michael, do you feel pressure surrounding United's results? Do you feel the pressure is affecting the players? And how are you looking to restore that confidence ahead of a tough run of fixtures? >> Kind of depends how we define pressure to be honest. I think there's um there's our own expectation. You know, we we know what we want, what we're capable of doing as a team, um what we expect as a group and as a football club and and and that comes from us. You know, I I um I certainly don't look outside or elsewhere of what it should look like. I know fine well exactly what it should look like. You know, I've I've I've felt it and I've felt the ups and I felt the downs and um so I I don't feel a pressure from that at all. It's it's it's us wanting to to succeed and we want to win and we want to be part of something successful. So that's the drive. Um there's no negativity around that, you know. It's it's a it's a pure um embracing the challenge and being excited about what we can possibly do. um there's going to be times when it doesn't go for you. There's going to be times when it's a bit of a struggle, but to to get to anywhere um to do something very good, to do something great, you know, you got to be able to do something difficult and and if you can't do something difficult and get through it, then you're not going to succeed. And that's that's where we've we've had a bit of a spell at the moment. And um [snorts] we're hugely positive. The the boys are in the boys are they've got the confidence in each other and I've got the utmost belief in them. And um it's it's very fine lines, you know, that we didn't start the game very well the other day and we all acknowledge that. Um the last three goals we've kind of conceded really in the league have all been avoidable and um that's that changes things an awful lot. So it's it's it's very fine margins, you know, and um but I've got the utmost of confidence in the boys that that that we can win win games and win a lot of games. >> And I just wanted to ask you about Bruno Fernandez. Obviously last season he won the PFA player of the year. Um his form was was he was on form. This season you would think it's fair to say that that form has changed. What do you put that down to and what do you do you think he's able to reach that form that we saw last season? >> Yeah. I mean it's pretty pretty um obvious to say that he can. Yeah. I mean it's um he's he's a top player, Bruno. And um sometimes things don't quite go for you, you know, and sometimes you have a spell of that. and um he he's done some incredible things for this football club and and he'll he'll do the same in the future. There's no doubt about it. >> Just one behind there in the white polo shirt. >> Yeah, just there. >> Hello, Michael. Marcelo do you have the opportunity to face Atletico Madrid during the preseason and I was wondering what's the difference are you expecting to fight in tomorrow game? Yeah, I I think preseason is preseason, you know, and and and largely the the the actual the teams themselves, maybe the individuals within the teams are going to be slightly different. There's u there's certain principles within the game that maybe there's a similarity, but the whole intensity, the feeling, the emotion, the um taken into the game and um the general energy in the game will be a totally different game. and um I know what the stadium um can do and and has looked from afar in Champions League nights and and we need to be ready for that and it'll be very different feeling to what that was preseason. You know, I was able to play the games and he's that's the commitment that that he's got to to do that. So, um yeah, he's pretty much he's pretty much over it. um still there slightly, but I as I said, I could go through the whole squad at this point and there'll be little bits here and there that um so it's not right now it's not a major deal. He's he's in good shape and uh he was really bright this morning and looking forward to the game. >> Ty, >> hi Michael. We're only really sat here with United in the Champions League because of what you and the players achieved in the second half of last season and how successful that was. Now we're sat here eight games into the season talking about you being under pressure and and what's going wrong and how it might be fixed. Are you surprised at how quickly it's kind of reached a point where we're having these conversations this season? >> Um I'm surprised you never you never you're never surprised. Of course we hope for a lot more. You know I've said it to you over the last few weeks. We hope for a lot more. We've expected a lot more. We are where we are as well. And um I was well aware that it was the chances of it going in in in in that direction of winning as many games and constantly winning games as we had. There was going to be a period when um it was going to become a little bit more challenging, a little bit a little bit stickier. That that's that's part of it. you know, it's like football and building something takes takes a bit a journey and you got to you got to overcome things to, you know, I'm sat here with with um with a coach here that's been here a long long time and and and I'm sure there's times when um there's been there's been waves when it hasn't quite gone to plan. They've had huge successes and um winning leagues and being around right the later stages of Champions League, but there have had times when it hasn't gone quite to plan. We got teams in our league that um have had success, but it hasn't necessarily always been in one direction. And um I understand when it's not going too well, there's a there's a real um there's a real kind of clamor and a and a real uh feeling of it's a disaster and it's all wrong and everything needs to be changed. I kind of get that obviously, but that's it's that's not in our mindset. That's certainly not in my mindset. I think with um as I've said to achieve anything really you you've got to be able to to deal with things that are difficult and you've got to overcome things. That's just part of it. I've did it as throughout my career, you know, and that to just to be here, you know, Lenny sat here with me now as grown up as players and and and you have big challenges and it's not he's sat here as made his fans debut last week. We're delighted for him. It's it's an unbelievable achievement. he wouldn't have played every game at the top top of his level and won every single game to get there. But he gets there, you know, and um we can't lose sight of of the journey. We need to do something about it now and and accept the reality and we got to we win win games. Of course, we do. Um as I've said, the last three goals we probably conceded are all goals where, you know, we can definitely do something about. We know that, but the boys know that. Uh and that's had a major impact on what the the league all of a sudden looks like. So, um that wasn't happening last season, you know, and um it can be the difference, but um I I I love this part of of of um sometimes when it's not quite going against you if you see who's really there. You see within the group, the players, the squad, the club who's really there, who wants to be here for the for the long term and really attached to it and really means something. And uh the supporters are there. They they want it. They they they're desperate for it. Um, and we got to give them something. So, I think you've got to sometimes embrace the challenges to to get to where you want to be. And we're right there now in in the middle of it. But, uh, totally believe that we'll come through it. >> One over there. >> Hola, Michael. [snorts] >> Hello, Michael. A question in Spanish. I wanted to ask you about the eternal debate here in Spain, which is whether Atletico Madrid is seen at the same level as Real Madrid and Barcelona when it's seen from the outside and sometimes there's a lot of talk about Simeone, the Atletico Madrid manager, being very similar to Ferguson in England. Do you think there's talk about that in England? Do you think he's such a big character is in Spain? Yeah, as as I as I said before, I think the the respect there is is definitely spread to to to to our country for sure. It's definitely spread to me. I think the respect for for the coach is is is very big. I think the what he's achieved um it's difficult to say in terms of you know Barcelona and Real have of have a lot of titles and maybe you know in terms of trophies that that little bit more but um for sure playing against them we we don't treat them any different. we think they're as as as good as any team in in in this competition as in Europe and they're as dangerous as as any team and uh they've proved that for for the long period of time. So, um it's very difficult to to to see who's better, who's on par, but we respect them and we treat them as as as one of the very best teams for sure. >> Michael, good evening. Ian Dennis from Five Live. You're just talking then about the challenges that the players face. You've got two particularly testing away games this week. I would imagine they're the type of challenges that the players should relish. But what gives you faith that they'll be up for those challenges? >> Because I know them. I know how much they care. I know um I know how strong the group is and um and the other side of things. You got no choice. You got to be that's why we're here. Um we're here to test ourselves. And um that's that's the great thing about it. You know, that's the opportunity that's that's in front of us. Um, if you haven't got that little bit in you where maybe it's it's a little bit crazy at times that actually love the challenge and and really want to dig deep to find the answers, then um it's not the place for you, believe me. So, um I've got the utmost trust in the in the players. I've seen it I've seen it closed quarters. I've seen it during games. I've seen it behind closed doors in and around changing rooms when we've had successes and um the behaviors to that and when we when when maybe we haven't and and and I know what the players are are feeling and and how hungry they are to to improve and it's a big week. Yeah, of course it is. It's two two tough games, two important games, but um we're hugely looking forward to them and um we know we're in a spot at the moment a little bit. Um definitely come off that you know. And Lenny, um, just if I could ask you one, it's this is on the players, isn't it, for the slow start. So, are you and the rest of the group ready to repay that faith in your manager? >> Yeah, of course. Um, still the beginning of the season, you know, uh, I think we did well in the second last season with the with the coach. So, this is something that cannot be gone like this. Uh, I have I trust the team. I trust um I trust us I trust us for the next game to to move on and to do better. But uh honestly I'm not worried about this. Uh every team can have some difficulties in the first part of the season. This is something uh we're ready for and it's something we have to move on and