5 Mins With Michael Carrick.....

Midfield pass-master Michael Carrick has been in fine form lately. Now in his second season at Old Trafford, he wants to add more winners' medals to his Premier League title...

How important will United’s forthcoming matches against Arsenal and Chelsea be in the title race?
I don’t think you can single any games out as more important than others. Arsenal and Chelsea are obviously big ones but I don’t think those matches will determine where the trophy ends up. We need to win all our games and some of those are very tough. We’re going away to Middlesbrough this weekend, we’re going to Blackburn, we’ve got some tough games.

What did you learn from winning the league last season?
I discovered how good it feels to win trophies and I want that feeling again. But we also lost in the FA Cup final and went out of the Champions League in the semi-final. Those experiences have given me even greater determination to do well.

At what point this season did you begin to believe the title was a distinct possibility?
We’ve had faith in ourselves from day one, and nothing has changed in that respect. We had always set out to win the league this season and the feeling this will happen grows stronger as the campaign moves on. Now is the time we really need to hit our best form because this is when it counts.

Speaking of form, are you happy with your performances in recently?
I’m enjoying my football and the team is playing well. If you can’t enjoy your football here, there’s something wrong with you! I’ve been very happy with my form since Christmas. I hope to keep getting better.

How hard is it to maintain form when the team is being rotated?
If you look at our results, I don’t think you can say a bad word about the rotation policy. Whoever’s played has done well and we’ve won more often than not. As a player, you’d prefer to be involved in every game, but the little rests here and there mean everyone’s still fresh. That was obviously the boss’s idea at the start of the campaign and he’s been proved correct once again. It was around this time last season that we had a few injuries, which resulted in the same players playing in every game. We eventually got a little tired and paid the price. This time we’ve been able to have a rest and use different players according to the games.

So, what would you say you bring to the team?
I just try to help out at both ends of the pitch. I supply the attackers as much as possible and create chances for them, but at the same time I’m looking to defend and help out the back four. I do enjoy playing here at United because I get a lot of the ball. And, of course, it’s a pleasure to play with these lads. People talk about my passing ability and that’s always been one of my strengths. However, it’s easier to look good when you’re playing with others who move so well off the ball. Our forwards make my life a lot less difficult.