Michael Carrick answered a few questions from me at Thursday press conference as he looked ahead to the game at West Brom on Saturday.
Q: Does the Huddersfield (league) game show the fine margins in football in that had we taken one of the chances at the end we would have been celebrating our first victory?
MC: Yes, that is football. It's about taking your chance. It is about creating them and playing well enough in order to have them chances. I just feel over a long period of time I think if you are consistent and you have a level of performance and keep doing the right things then it will balance itself out.
So, we can't sit here and feel sorry for ourselves that we have let one or two games slip. It is what it is. We have just got to keep doing the right things over a long period of time.
Q: As new players come in are you still getting to grips with what is the best line up and formation etc?
MC: Yes, I think it is the options we have as well. I think it is a little bit of certain players start the season really well. I know as I was a player myself and sometimes you start the season in good form and sometimes you start the season and you are finding that little bit of rhythm and sharpness. It is a little bit of losing form at certain times as well. But it is not necessarily just your best players if you like or your best team, it is a constant work of, for this week who is the best, who is going to benefit from playing or not playing in the bigger picture. So, it is not just about now and yes we need a win so lets go all in on this. There is kind of more to it than that.
And I have got full trust in the boys, you know, to whether it is starting or whether it is finishing the game or whether it is being on the bench and maybe not playing one week and then playing the next week. It is a long season as I have repeated quite a few times already today and I am fully aware of that.
Q: West Brom have a recent Premier history, it is a big stadium, big support etc, excepting last season as a club we generally have a very good record at the Hawthorns. Does that have any bearing at all or give any confidence going into the game?
MC: No, the confidence I think we take as a group as what we do everyday in training to be honest, I think. Over time, for whatever reason clubs seem to have grounds where they do well and maybe some not so good. But in reality on the day its about the individuals coming together as a team and performing really. Other than that for us, in what we are doing and preparing for the game we can't look past that.
Q: Does the Huddersfield (league) game show the fine margins in football in that had we taken one of the chances at the end we would have been celebrating our first victory?
MC: Yes, that is football. It's about taking your chance. It is about creating them and playing well enough in order to have them chances. I just feel over a long period of time I think if you are consistent and you have a level of performance and keep doing the right things then it will balance itself out.
So, we can't sit here and feel sorry for ourselves that we have let one or two games slip. It is what it is. We have just got to keep doing the right things over a long period of time.
Q: As new players come in are you still getting to grips with what is the best line up and formation etc?
MC: Yes, I think it is the options we have as well. I think it is a little bit of certain players start the season really well. I know as I was a player myself and sometimes you start the season in good form and sometimes you start the season and you are finding that little bit of rhythm and sharpness. It is a little bit of losing form at certain times as well. But it is not necessarily just your best players if you like or your best team, it is a constant work of, for this week who is the best, who is going to benefit from playing or not playing in the bigger picture. So, it is not just about now and yes we need a win so lets go all in on this. There is kind of more to it than that.
And I have got full trust in the boys, you know, to whether it is starting or whether it is finishing the game or whether it is being on the bench and maybe not playing one week and then playing the next week. It is a long season as I have repeated quite a few times already today and I am fully aware of that.
Q: West Brom have a recent Premier history, it is a big stadium, big support etc, excepting last season as a club we generally have a very good record at the Hawthorns. Does that have any bearing at all or give any confidence going into the game?
MC: No, the confidence I think we take as a group as what we do everyday in training to be honest, I think. Over time, for whatever reason clubs seem to have grounds where they do well and maybe some not so good. But in reality on the day its about the individuals coming together as a team and performing really. Other than that for us, in what we are doing and preparing for the game we can't look past that.
