Manajer interim Manchester United Michael Carrick menegaskan bahwa kemampuan adaptasi yang dimiliki Kobbie Mainoo akan mempermudah klub dalam mendatangkan gelandang baru pada bursa transfer musim panas mendatang.
Langkah pencarian rekan duet baru bagi Mainoo di lini tengah ini menyusul kepastian kepergian gelandang senior asal Brasil, Casemiro, yang telah melakoni pertandingan terakhirnya bersama Setan Merah pada pekan lalu.
Dilansir dari Manchester Evening News dan The Peoples Person, Manchester United telah menyiapkan investasi besar demi memboyong suksesor Casemiro, dengan sejumlah nama seperti Elliot Anderson, Aurelien Tchouameni, Sandro Tonali, dan Carlos Baleba masuk dalam daftar target.
Carrick memberikan pandangannya mengenai urgensi mendatangkan mitra baru bagi Mainoo di lini tengah menjelang pertandingan pamungkas Premier League musim ini melawan Brighton.
"I mean, there's a balance. There's a balance as a football club because you're not necessarily, whenever it is, bringing a player in just to play with one player." ujar Michael Carrick, Manajer Interim Manchester United.
Mantan gelandang United tersebut menambahkan bahwa perekrutan pemain baru harus disesuaikan dengan kebutuhan, keseimbangan skuad, serta kemampuan untuk menghadapi ketatnya kompetisi di berbagai ajang.
"I think it's about fitting in with the squad, the balance of the squad. Being able to cope with playing here for different competitions for so many games. So it's not necessarily— I'm talking quite broad here in general of any player – you're not just bringing them just to play with one player." kata Michael Carrick, Manajer Interim Manchester United.
Carrick juga memuji perkembangan pesat gelandang muda asal Inggris itu sejak dirinya mengambil alih kepemimpinan di Old Trafford.
"But certainly there's a dynamic and there's a balance that needs to be had. And the beauty about Kobbie is that he can do so many things well, and I think he's proven that and he's evolved so much in the 4 or 5 months that I've seen his progress. And that's him! I'm not taking the credit for that. He's done that himself." tutur Michael Carrick, Manajer Interim Manchester United.
Menurut Carrick, fleksibilitas permainan Mainoo dalam menjalankan peran yang berbeda menjadi keuntungan tersendiri bagi pihak manajemen dalam memburu pemain baru.
"But I think he's shown that he can do so many things, so it makes bringing players in to play with a player like Kobbie a little bit easier when he can adapt himself. And I think he's adapted over time playing a slightly different role for us already." ucap Michael Carrick, Manajer Interim Manchester United.
Selain membahas internal timnya, Carrick turut memberikan pujian kepada striker Brighton, Danny Welbeck, yang merupakan mantan penggawa binaan akademi Manchester United.
"I'm delighted with him. He scored against us too many times. He's obviously been here, knowing him from so young. He's a fantastic— I still call him a lad. He's an old man now, but he makes me feel old, the fact that he's that age." cetus Michael Carrick, Manajer Interim Manchester United.
Meski Welbeck kini telah menginjak usia 35 tahun, Carrick mengaku sangat menghormati dedikasi dan mentalitas yang ditunjukkan oleh sang penyerang di atas lapangan.
"But huge respect for him. I think he's terrific coming through here through the academy and made a massive impact. And to have gone on and have the career he's had and still be playing so well at that age just shows his mindset, his mentality, his attitude, all them things, and to enable you to play to 35. So he deserves a lot of credit for that, and I'm really delighted genuinely to see him doing so well." ungkap Michael Carrick, Manajer Interim Manchester United.
Saat disinggung mengenai rencana liburan musim panasnya yang terancam terganggu oleh aktivitas transfer klub, Carrick berseloroh bahwa ujian sekolah anak-anaknya yang menjadi kendala utama saat ini.
"It's the kids' exams that are getting in the way at the moment," tawa Michael Carrick, Manajer Interim Manchester United. "A-levels and GCSEs, to be honest, that's stopping me from booking anything."
Mengenai pentingnya bursa transfer kali ini bagi masa depan Setan Merah, Carrick menilai dinamika bursa transfer selalu menjadi hal yang krusial bagi setiap klub sepak bola untuk terus melangkah maju.
"I think the beauty of the next transfer window for everybody, it's always the biggest thing in the world, so, and the most important transfer window of all time for every club, I think. That's just the nature of how it's been created, to be honest." jelas Michael Carrick, Manajer Interim Manchester United.
Carrick tidak menampik adanya pekerjaan rumah yang besar di kubu United menyusul kepergian beberapa pemain pilar setelah kompetisi liga berakhir.
"And again, as a football club, you want to keep moving forward. We certainly do as a football club, want to keep moving forward. So I think it's acknowledged we're at this stage and the dynamics and the balance of the direction we're at, where we've ended up getting to and finishing in the league. And there's obviously work to do." tambah Michael Carrick, Manajer Interim Manchester United.
Meskipun demikian, ia menganggap tantangan pada bursa transfer musim panas ini sama pentingnya dengan periode-periode transfer sebelumnya demi kemajuan klub ke depan.
"I know it's quite obvious there's certain players leaving that there's a bit of work to do, but it's not any more important, this one, than the last one, or it's what's ahead of us to, as a football club, to try and make the most of." urai Michael Carrick, Manajer Interim Manchester United.
Di sisi lain, hilangnya sosok pemimpin seperti Casemiro di dalam ruang ganti diyakini Carrick dapat diatasi oleh pertumbuhan kematangan para pemain muda di dalam skuad.
"For sure I've seen development, a lot of development in different ways, and some of it you see on the pitch, some of it it's obvious it's there performance-wise, or it's there's a technical part of it, and the players are improving in that regard. But I think I've said it before again, sometimes it's the feeling comfortable in the best way of being here and knowing what it feels like to play here and having an element of success, having an element of a few challenges and you come through it and you understand what it takes to get through it." tegas Michael Carrick, Manajer Interim Manchester United.
Carrick menutup penjelasannya dengan menyatakan bahwa proses melewati berbagai tantangan tersebut akan membentuk karakter dan kepribadian para pemain agar tampil lebih berkembang saat meraih hasil positif.
"I think that as much as anything, and then you can grow and you can your character and your personality comes out even more. I've seen that for some of the younger players, and actually not just the younger players, some you can see, everyone that little bit more and growing when you're getting good results or" pungkas Michael Carrick, Manajer Interim Manchester United.
