Carrick Embraces Battle For Midfield Places

Manchester United midfielder Michael Carrick believes that competition for places in the squad is healthy, and says he's happy to sacrifice game time for the good of the team.

The additions of Bastian Schweinsteiger and Morgan Schneiderlin this summer have intensified the battle to be selected in the Reds' midfield, with Louis van Gaal keen to rotate his players as the season goes on.

With qualification for the Champions League group stage secured, Carrick has welcomed the added pressure, but says he's realistic about the demands of more fixtures on United's schedule.

"For the squad to have competition and for the manager to be able to pick and choose in certain games based on fitness and freshness for example, it’s a strong position to be in," Carrick told MUTV before Sunday's defeat at Swansea City, in which he came on for Schneiderlin in the 70th minute.

"It’s tough to pick the same team week in, week out, but I think you can only do it for so long before it hits you further down the line.

"It’s about keeping everyone fresh and on top form. If you’ve got to sit out, it’s not nice as a player because you want to play every game, but you’ve got to understand that it can’t happen every week – I certainly understand that now. It’s for the good of the team and, come the end of the season, hopefully we’ll all be successful together."

Asked whether or not the change is difficult to get used to, Carrick added: “Yes, but at the same time, I understand that I’m 34 now. If you’ve got to play three games a week, you can maybe do it for one week, but for two or three weeks on the spin, I think it’s pretty impossible to do at the top of your game.

"You have to understand that as a player. I’ve seen players like Giggs, Scholes and Ferdinand all performing well, but sometimes they had to sit one out to be at their best the week after. I understand that, and I’m not naive enough to think differently. That’s just where I am right now."

The Reds will regularly face midweek games after the international break, when the club's Champions League group-stage and Capital One Cup campaigns get under way. Carrick insists the players are hoping to challenge on all fronts, having missed out on European football last season.

“I think it’s great," he added. "It’s where we want to be; playing games in quick succession means you’re involved in the right tournaments, and we want that to continue throughout the season. There won’t be any excuses of fatigue or anything like that – it’s where we want to be.

"To be successful you have to play those matches, it’s something we’ve done for so many years, and it’s something we’ll aim to do this season, for sure."