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CARRICK: FANS PLAY A HUGE PART

Michael Carrick says United are determined to put things right against Aston Villa after opening the title-race door for rivals Liverpool with two straight defeats.

But while it’s down to the players to get the job done on the pitch, the 27-year-old midfielder has called on the Old Trafford faithful to play their part.

“The fans can play a huge part in every game and can pull you through when things aren’t going quite so well. It would be easy for supporters to get a bit frustrated when that's the case, but our fans are always behind us. It gives us a big lift.”

Sir Alex Ferguson's men are still in control at the Barclays Premier League summit, one point clear with a game in hand. But with no points gained in the last two matches, Carrick insists it's vital United get back to winning ways on Sunday.

"We’d gone so long without a league defeat that when it happened it was a bit of a shock to the system, especially when you consider the run we’d been on and how we’d been playing," Michael told United Review.

"But you’re going to lose games through the season, it’s very rare that you don’t. We’ve just got to bounce back; we’ve done it before and we’ll do it again. It’s not a case of changing everything because we’ve lost a couple of matches – we’ve got to focus on doing what we do best and hopefully go on another winning run."
 

TEAM-MATE TALES: RYAN GIGGS

The record-breaking Red reveals all to Inside United...

Who is... the most intelligent Red?
Apart from me?! Probably Nev [Gary Neville]. He’s like a politician, and will argue everything. Even if he is wrong, he’ll tell you he’s right. He always has something to say.

Funniest player?
Patrice [Evra]. He’s full of practical jokes and little one-liners, and a great person to have around the changing room.

Best-dressed team-mate?
Patrice again probably! He’s head to toe in Dolce & Gabbana, he does all his shopping in Monaco and Milan, and is always smart, even in his tracksuit.

What about the worst dressed…?
[Another long pause] Cristiano [Ronaldo]. No reason, but it will upset him so I thought I’d say it! He tries hard every day…

 

Who is the best player in training?
Paul Scholes - you just can’t get the ball off him. He’s a great passer of the ball, he has a great range. He works hard but he also manages to make it look easy – which everyone would love to be able to do.

And the worst? [Long pause] Erm, you don’t really get bad trainers at this club. But I’ll say Anderson – only because he’s carefree, relaxed and tries things out, but he doesn’t ever take himself too seriously.

Who’d make it into your Reds five-a-side team?
Alongside me I’d have Rio, Scholesy, Cristiano and Wayne Rooney. In that side you’ve got goalscorers, the backbone in Rio, people who can keep the ball, pace and power – just a bit of everything.