Michael Carrick applauded the Manchester United supporters after the victory over Manchester City on 17 January
Manchester United interim manager Michael Carrick has expressed gratitude for the support he’s received from the club’s fanbase, stating he is “not offended” by the planned protest prior to Sunday’s Premier League fixture against Fulham.
Carrick boasts a perfect record in his temporary role, following unexpected victories over Manchester City and Arsenal.
Despite the team’s resurgence after Ruben Amorim’s departure and United’s ascent into the Premier League’s top four for the first time this season after defeating Arsenal, the 1958 supporters’ group is proceeding with its planned demonstration.
The group anticipates between 5,000 and 6,000 fans will participate in the march. The protest is scheduled to commence an hour before kick-off from opposite sides of the stadium, converging at the ‘Law, Best, Charlton’ statue outside Old Trafford, making precise attendance figures challenging to ascertain.
Organizers have alluded to “a few surprises in store” for the demonstration.
“Our protest has never been about performances on the pitch, not now, and not once in the last 21 years,” the group stated.
“We are judging a dysfunctional ownership model that has repeatedly failed.”
Carrick previously described the Glazer family as “great owners” in his autobiography.
However, few fans share this sentiment, irrespective of their intention to join the protest.
Anti-Glazer chants are a common feature at United games, and recently, minority stakeholder Sir Jim Ratcliffe has also become a target of supporter discontent.
When asked for his opinion on the matter, Carrick chose to emphasize the support he and his team have received, rather than address the broader issues.
“I don’t think it [the protest] connects with the two wins, to be honest,” he said.
“I fully respect the supporters. I’m not offended by it or anything, and the players certainly aren’t.
“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 we’ve had over the last couple of weeks has been pretty special and we’ve both fed off that. That’s exactly how we wanted it to be and is something we need to keep building on moving forward.”
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