Carrick: Ready For The Fight?
Redville
After recently losing an automatic place in the team at club level, Michael Carrick is likely to be on the bench this evening when England take on Russia.
Suddenly, Owen Hargreaves is a favourite at Old Trafford whilst Gareth Barry is getting the nod in an injury stricken England midfield.
Understandably, there is a look of slight resignation about the man. With the quality of players competing with him at club and international level, he might be wondering, with some anxiety, about just how many minutes of football he can expect to play this season.
But looks can be deceptive and Carrick’s laid-back demeanour belies a passion and quality that made him crucial to Manchester United’s title success last season.
When Carrick joined United, the pressure was on. With a low profile and high price tag he was given the number 16 shirt, which really should have been retired, and asked to step into the boots of the legendary Roy Keane.
Although he may not have scaled the impossible heights of his predecessor in his first season, you will find very few United supporters complaining about Carrick’s level of performance in the title winning campaign of 2006/2007. Instead of trying to please the fans by charging around like an Irish madman, he evolved the position, adding fluidity, a European guile and devastating passing range to the role.
Physically, he did easily enough but it was his vision and speed of thought that improved the team so markedly. There are many good midfielders in England but few who could be the next Hoddle. Carrick’s skill set is uncannily similar
What sets Carrick apart is the amount of time that his first and second touches allow him on the ball. Rarely will you see him seriously troubled by an opponent whilst in possession and rarely will he put a team mate in danger. At his best, the whole team plays through him and use him as the perfect ball holder whilst they plot their advance. Carrick is the master of the one-two and has a shot that should yield many more goals as his confidence and stature increases. He has everything in his armoury to ‘do a Lampard’ and become a late developer of the highest goal scoring order.
So, strangely, this sudden test of ego might just propel Carrick to renewed and greater success. He has been perceived as a quiet guy, unable to grab his chance by the throat, but he rose to the challenge at United and passed the sternest of tests - that of pleasing a group of fans that have spent the last ten years watching Kanchelskis, Ince, Giggs, Beckham, Scholes, Keane and Ronaldo, week in, week out – and doing so with flying colours. At this rate of progress, Carrick will surely laugh last and laugh the longest.
