Carrick Addresses Fan Protests Ahead of Fulham Clash
Michael Carrick maintains that Manchester United remains poised for success under the Glazer family’s ownership, even as thousands of supporters gear up to demonstrate against the American owners and Sir Jim Ratcliffe before this weekend’s match against Fulham.
The 1958 group has coordinated a demonstration targeting the club’s current ownership setup, with confidence in Ratcliffe’s influence waning. Officials anticipate around 6,000 fans at the pre-game gathering, which proceeds unabated following Carrick’s recent triumphs over Manchester City and Arsenal in his initial outings as manager.
Carrick Expresses Respect for Supporters
The 44-year-old manager voiced no objections to the upcoming action and expressed gratitude for the backing extended to him and the squad since his appointment. “I don’t think it connects with the two wins,” he remarked regarding the protest. “It doesn’t affect the team. I fully respect the supporters. They’re incredible. They have been for so long and had a lot of ups and some downs as well.”
“I’m not offended by it or anything, and the players certainly aren’t, I think. Within the stadium, the support we’ve felt, and that’s been there for all the games that I’ve watched for quite some time, has been of the highest level and I’m sure it will continue to be like that.”
“The connection that we’ve had over the last couple of weeks has been pretty special and we’ve both fed off that. I think the supporters have fed off it. We have as a group, the players certainly have, and that’s something we need to keep building on moving forward, because that’s exactly how we wanted it to be.”
Long-Standing Ownership Tensions
Supporter dissatisfaction with United’s ownership has persisted since the Glazers’ arrival in the summer of 2005. Demonstrations have intensified in recent years, exacerbated by a series of challenges since Ineos secured a minority stake in February 2024.
In his 2018 autobiography, Carrick praised the Glazers as “great owners.” Having played for the club throughout their tenure and later served on the coaching staff, he remains convinced that prosperity is achievable with their involvement.
“Yeah, I think we’ve had a good couple of weeks and we’re moving in the right direction,” he added. “We want to keep building on that. I think that’s part of the focus here is it’s never get satisfied with what we’ve just done and keep moving forward.”
“Off the pitch, whatever goes on in around the club, it’s not really for us as a playing group to worry about and let that affect performances. I think it’s what we feel, what we can grasp at the minute, we feel the utmost support from the supporters as much as ever, and that’s where we want to keep moving towards.”
