Daniel Farke has come out in support of Michael Carrick before Leeds face off against Manchester United. With the Red Devils experiencing a rocky start, the Leeds manager argues that the criticism aimed at Carrick is overly harsh and insists he won't consider his side as favourites.
Manchester United are currently on a five-match winless streak, having garnered just six points from their first six Premier League outings, leaving them languishing in 13th place.
Carrick is under significant pressure after overseeing the club's worst start to a league campaign in 40 years.
Last season, he played a pivotal role in stabilising the team and leading them into the Champions League, which earned him the permanent managerial position.
Farke believes this contribution has been forgotten all too quickly.
He stated:
There aren’t many young British coaches in the Premier League.
Michael did a fantastic job at Middlesbrough, stepping into a difficult situation last season and really helping to stabilise the club.
The Leeds manager expressed confusion over the extent of the criticism faced by Carrick after just six matches into the new season.
It's only been six games. Yes, Manchester United want to challenge for the title, so the expectations are massive, but I don’t like that the criticism starts so quickly.
We need to give young, promising coaches time.
Farke also highlighted Carrick's long-standing association with Manchester United and his contributions during last season's turbulence.
Let’s not forget how much he’s done for this club as a player and how he helped them through a very tough period last season.
In my opinion, he handled it at the highest level.
Before their meeting, Farke’s record against Carrick is impressive.
The German has won all four matches against Middlesbrough during Carrick's tenure, with Leeds also triumphing over Manchester United at Old Trafford last April.
Carrick’s only victory over Farke came in the League Cup.
However, the Leeds boss does not see his squad as outright favourites for the upcoming fixture.
We know we’re capable of doing something special. But we need to get it done first, and then we can talk.
As the King once said: less talk, more action.
While Leeds have started their season on a stronger note, suffering only one defeat compared to their opponents, Farke cautioned against jumping to conclusions based solely on league positions.
Look at their squad, the value of their players, the quality and depth.
Manchester United certainly cannot be written off against Leeds.
He believes the winless streak could make Carrick's side even more dangerous.
Leeds may head into the match with three more points, but Farke anticipates a challenging encounter against an opponent desperate for victory.
