Carrick backs Dalot after Villa draw

Manchester United head coach Michael Carrick has come out in support of Diogo Dalot after fans criticized the Portuguese defender. This happened after Dalot gave away a penalty during the club’s thrilling 4-4 draw with Aston Villa on Sunday.

Dalot tripped Aston Villa’s Alysson in the box, which allowed John McGinn to score from the penalty spot. The match had several ups and downs, including two stoppage-time goals for United.

Some fans expressed their anger, leading to questions about whether Carrick understood their feelings. There were also doubts about whether Dalot should stay in the team.

But Carrick defended the 27-year-old, saying he gives his all for the club. He admitted Dalot made a mistake but also pointed out his contributions to the team.

In his post-match press conference published on the club’s website on Monday, Carrick said, “We’ve got to be careful with that, I think. I understand the frustration. I understand the disappointment of the supporters, so I get it. We’re all frustrated. We’re all disappointed. And the players are as much as anyone, I guarantee you that.”

He continued to support Dalot, saying, “Diogo gives absolutely everything. He’s played in different positions. He’s played left-back. He’s played really well at times. He gives a penalty away today. That’s, you know… he knows that. Maybe he can do a little bit better. Alright, that’s part of it; he’s made a mistake.”

Carrick also praised Dalot’s attitude and his role in the dressing room. He said, “But he cares an awful lot, and he’s given everything. So I like what he brings to the team. I like what he brings to the group. I like what he brings to the whole environment and the culture that we’ve got.”

On whether Dalot would keep his spot in the team, Carrick said that decision was different from judging the player’s performance.

“Picking the team and who plays the next game, that’s a whole different decision. But it’s a whole different game that we’ve got to look forward to now,” he said.

When asked if Dalot was handling the criticism well, Carrick simply replied, “Yeah.”

The draw against Villa marked another wild match for United. They scored twice in stoppage time to earn a point after a back-and-forth game.

Carrick expressed his disappointment that the team did not win, even though he felt they played well for most of the match. “Yeah, there was a lot happened in the game there. It’s just the moments that are making it [difficult]. We’re kind of beating ourselves a little bit, with the moments really that we’re giving away and goals that we’re giving away in tight clusters, that are making it a lot more difficult,” he said.

He added, “Football’s about moments. Football’s about what happens in both boxes in the end, where I think you take the moments that are totally avoidable, goals that we’re giving away.”

Looking at his team’s performance, Carrick said, “I actually thought we’ve played pretty well and were the better team for the most part, and I’m disappointed that we still haven’t won the game, to be truthful.”

He continued, “I thought we had most of the pressure. I thought we defended well, pressed well. We’re just giving them the moments that shape the game in some ways and then finished strongly and took something out of the game but still disappointing that we haven’t actually won it.”

When asked if United’s defensive issues were due to a lack of focus, Carrick disagreed. He insisted his players were alert.

“No, they are switched on and concentrated. It’s a variety of things, a variety of type of goals, so there’s not a theme to it apart from there’s one-off moments catching us out at the moment,” he said.

He still believes the team can improve after the international break. “Yeah, 100 per cent, yeah. I think there’s more than enough. I think goals change games, and you’ve got to deal with it, and it’s something we have to improve on drastically. But there’s more than enough. We’re just making it too difficult for ourselves at the moment in certain times,” Carrick said.

The manager also confirmed that defender Harry Maguire was taken off at half-time because of a back issue. “He’s had a really bad back spasm,” Carrick said, noting that it was a new problem.

United will now take a break from competitive matches, with many players likely to go on international duty. Carrick said this time will help the squad regroup and get ready for their next game.

“Yeah, it’s been a right mixed week or two or three, really, if you’re looking at the events. But I’m pretty clear where we need to go and how we need to get there,” he said.

He added, “But as a normal international week is, you know, we’ll have some training. We’ll have one or two days off, but not too much. But we’ll train, and we’ll get ready for the next game.