- 7 weeks ago
Carrick and Mbuemo on Man Utd's Champions League return against Sabah
09/09/2026
Carrington Training centre, Manchester, UK
09/09/2026
Carrington Training centre, Manchester, UK
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00:00Is it justification for coming here?
00:02Because you could have joined clubs last summer
00:04that would have allowed you to go straight into the Champions League
00:08but you took almost a leap of faith in Bir Tindar practice.
00:16Yeah, in my head I saw a bit like the team and players
00:22and I knew those were good connections.
00:26They were introduced here.
00:30And of course I received some research from the players before I come
00:34and I was really convinced that we could achieve some favour.
00:41Michael, what does playing top-flight European football mean to you
00:47and what should it mean to Manchester United?
00:50Wow.
00:52It means an awful lot.
00:53You know, it's challenging yourself against the elite with the very best.
01:00I've said it before, I think it's over a long period of time
01:04this football club has been used to challenging with the best and being the best.
01:11And it's not something that you can take for granted.
01:13It's what it takes to be there and what it takes to stay there.
01:15And we've missed out on it for a number of years and now we're back.
01:20So I think it means a lot.
01:23You know, it's where we want to be every single year.
01:26It's where we should expect to be without being ahead of ourselves.
01:31It's what we have to push for.
01:32It's the standards that we want to set.
01:36And it's up to us to be able to do that.
01:38I think you've made huge steps over the last few months or a year or so
01:44to make it in and finish the league really strong to be in this position.
01:48And now it's about what's next and pushing into the next chapter, if you like,
01:53the next phase, the next evolution of the team and the squad.
01:56And this is certainly where we want to be.
02:00And it's up to us now to make sure we stay.
02:03Brian, do you share the excitement of the fans when the draw is made?
02:06Are you looking at the opponents thinking,
02:08I want to play in that stadium, I want to play against that club?
02:13Yeah, I think it's the first time I've watched a draw from the Champions League.
02:19But yeah, obviously, we need, I think, any kind of games.
02:24And yeah, every country, every teams are different.
02:30And it's always good to go there and see.
02:35Michael, Varsava are making their Champions League debut.
02:38When analysing the team, what aspects of their game stood out to you most?
02:43Yeah, first of all, I think they're a very well-coached team.
02:47You can see that quite clearly, their ideas, the principles that they have.
02:52That are repeatable and they have some really good things.
02:55I think they've obviously won a lot of football matches over the last 12 months or so.
02:59And they've been playing with a lot of confidence.
03:01You can see the way they play, you can take the ball and play through the pitch and have some
03:05really good connections and press well as a team.
03:08So, we obviously are fully aware of what we're up against and the challenge that we face.
03:15Terry?
03:16Hi, Michael.
03:17During Bruno's time at this club, he's played in one Champions League knockout tie-in, coming on for seven years
03:22now.
03:23Obviously nominated for the Ballon d'Or yesterday and in talks over a potential new contract.
03:26How important is that this Champions League journey goes deep and shows players, your best players like Bruno, that you're
03:32not just here for the league phase,
03:34that you can achieve what those players want to achieve and players like Bruno want to achieve?
03:37We certainly can achieve it. We're capable of achieving it.
03:41This will toss to Upstreet and take a step of doing that.
03:45I think you saying that as well shows the steps that we're trying to make from previous years of not
03:52being in the later stages of the competition.
03:54So, I think we've got to be humble enough and realistic enough to know where we're coming from and where
04:00we want to get to.
04:01We feel that when you say Bruno's only played in that one, so it's part of us to keep pushing
04:08the standards,
04:10to be the best we can possibly be.
04:13We want to be there as quickly as possible, as everybody does.
04:16But again, there's understanding the steps that need to be put in place to be able to do that.
04:24We're capable of some really, really good things, you know, especially on our day.
04:28We feel like we can go up against anybody and come out on top, you know.
04:33And it's up to us to bring that over a consistent period of consistency through games.
04:39And yeah, that gets you the results and hopefully puts us in those stages that you're talking about.
04:44So...
04:44Hi, Michael. Since you played in the final in 2011,
04:48the club have only reached the Champions League quarterfinals on two occasions.
04:52For whatever reason, it's been quite a patchy record in the competition since then.
04:56What do you make of that record?
04:57And do you think that also emphasises how important it is to be in it on a season after season
05:03basis?
05:04Yeah, well, like I said, I think to be humble enough to understand what recent history we've had.
05:13And it doesn't take away the drive and the desire and the expectation from all of us to want to
05:22be really successful.
05:23But I still think to be realistic to understand that.
05:28And there's a really balanced view of that, you know.
05:32But it's, again, all I can say is it's what's ahead of us that matters, you know.
05:38Whether that was kind of coming into this in really good shape, in not so good shape from recent history,
05:47from years gone by.
05:48It's about what we do next. And we've got a team and we've got a squad that's really massively looking
05:54forward to this phase, you know.
05:56We need to learn, we need to keep improving, and we need to make the most of these opportunities.
06:04Hi, Michael. What kind of approach will you take to selections in this competition?
06:08Obviously, you played in it, you know what it takes to win it.
06:10And also, as a coach, you made a manager here, you made a big ball decision in Villarreal, for example,
06:15in the first match.
06:15What kind of approach will you take to selections in this competition?
06:19Yeah, well, it's always a balanced view.
06:21I think that's why we've got the squad and we're pushing towards the struggles as strong a squad as possible,
06:27to be able to adapt to certain games and certain strengths and different ways of playing and different circumstances.
06:34So, yeah, we play Thursday, we play Sunday, we play Wednesday. It's what we're here for.
06:40So, it's about managing the group, of course it is, and having a trust in everyone who's able to play
06:47and well play.
06:48Hi, Michael. I just wondered, you did touch up on it a little bit there.
06:52What's the target for this competition, the expectation? How far are you hoping to get? What do you believe you
06:57can do in it?
06:58I don't think it's a kind of going, if we get to a certain stage, that's a success.
07:03And if we don't, it's not. I think you've got to embrace the new challenge that we're facing as a
07:09group.
07:10I think I'm pushed to what we can push to.
07:14I think we've done some really good things in this competition and gone further down the line in this competition.
07:22And then who knows when it gets to that stage? I'm not writing anything off.
07:24But again, taking it step by step and certainly not getting ahead of ourselves, you know,
07:28because sometimes some part of it's in your experience for some of the players in this group.
07:34Everybody is a bit of a new experience right currently now.
07:37But the boys are used to playing European football for the most part in different competitions
07:43and we'll take that forward and we've got a squad that strong after the competition.
07:48Robin and James.
07:49Just on the schedule, you've obviously been given a Thursday game
07:51and then you've got a derby on Sunday.
07:53City played Tuesday and have got a couple of days extra rest.
07:55I'm not sure there's anything you can do about it.
07:57But are you concerned about that at all?
07:58I know that the features have fallen a little bit.
08:01I'm not concerned.
08:02I think it's ideal in some ways, but it's not something that we've given too much thought about.
08:13We're not in control of that.
08:16We've got to deal with the cause that we're dealt and that's what it is.
08:18So we're making the most of that.
08:21James.
08:21Michael, just following in front of a couple of the earlier questions.
08:24The club have got some lofty ambitions both on the pitch,
08:28obviously targeting the title by 2028,
08:30and off the pitch with these ambitious plans for a new stadium.
08:34Both of those things are costly.
08:37How important is it then that this week marks the start of a permanent
08:42or as close to a permanent return to the Champions League as you've got
08:46because the two things don't look attainable
08:49if you're going to be in and out of the Champions League all the time?
08:53That's the ultimate challenge, you know.
08:56As I said, we've done an awful lot of good work to be here in a short space of time.
09:01And credit to the players for that.
09:03And it's where we want to be.
09:05You know, we want to keep pushing and the expectation is great.
09:08We want the expectation.
09:09We want the hope and the belief that we can achieve things quickly.
09:15You know, that's a privileged position to be in, to have that hope upon us, you know.
09:21So, winning games is always the answer to anything, you know.
09:27And the more games we can win, certainly in this competition,
09:29then the better chance we'll go further.
09:32The more games we win in the league in terms of giving us a chance
09:35of qualifying for this again as we win it.
09:38So, it does come down to in the football matches in the end.
09:41We're definitely capable of that.
09:44From the back of the sun.
09:45Hi Michael, back in the room.
09:47Just for those, it's going to be just over a thousand days
09:50since Old Trafford last posted a Men's Champions League match.
09:53Just how important is the competition to United?
09:55How important do you suit?
09:59Yeah, it's a magical competition, you know.
10:01It's where we all want to be.
10:05When you're out of it, you realise how special it is.
10:07And when you're in it, you want to make the most of it.
10:11I think we've all seen some special, special nights
10:14and felt some special things in the competition over the years.
10:19It's where we want to be, it's what we want to get back to.
10:21And that's, you know, it's the best competition to challenge yourself
10:25and to push against the best.
10:28We're delighted to be here.
10:30But we're not here to just enjoy the occasion.
10:32We're here to do business and go as far as we possibly can.
10:37Can I ask as well about Matthias to Leighton?
10:39Obviously, it's been a long journey back.
10:42When do you expect him to be available for the team?
10:45Yeah, I would have to say he's positive.
10:47Matthias trained really well and still managing.
10:50You know, I think when you're out for such a long period of time,
10:53you get to the right to the final stages and you're pushing, you're pushing.
10:57You know, you've got to manage that last stage.
10:58It's important.
10:59So, you've got to get that balance right for him to take the next step.
11:04But he's on butt track.
11:05He's in a good place.
11:06And it's great to have him back around us.
11:09And hopefully it'll be sometime soon.
11:11Chris?
11:12Michael first, please.
11:14Benjamin Sesko off the bench again on Sunday.
11:16He's got a goal for you.
11:18How is he doing for you at the moment?
11:19And is he close?
11:20Do you think he'll get a start over his next two games?
11:23Yeah, Ben's close.
11:24He's obviously getting closer and closer.
11:26He missed a lot, you know.
11:28At the end of April, really.
11:30They're up all the last games.
11:31A long time for him to miss.
11:32And we had to manage him.
11:33Look after him.
11:34Get off it.
11:35Probably trained.
11:37Being a bit weak fully, kind of non-restriction.
11:41And I think you can see that, you know.
11:43Coming onto the pitch and getting his rhythm.
11:46And it was a fantastic goal.
11:48But he did an awful lot for us last season.
11:49It was nice to see him get on the end of that cross.
11:53So, he's in a good place, Ben.
11:54Yeah, he'll be part of, obviously, each and every game now.
11:58Which is the case of when he takes that next step.
12:01But he's in a good place.
12:02Brian, during the summer, you've played to the middle quite a bit.
12:06This season so far, you've been playing wide right.
12:08You've scored two goals in the past two games.
12:10Where do you think you're most dangerous playing to the scene?
12:14You prefer to play on the last season.
12:19No, obviously, I've been used to playing a few positions in the attack.
12:29I think, like, even in my first season of professional back in the dancing tour,
12:35I was playing right, left, central.
12:38So, obviously, like, I've got some preferences.
12:42Like, I would say key positions on the field.
12:47But I can have them rather when I play centrally or wide.
12:52So, it doesn't really, really matter.
12:55As long as I can play and play for the team, I'm happy.
13:01Last one for Richard.
13:02Hi, Michael.
13:03You talked about what the Champions League means to the club.
13:06But in terms of your own playing career and when you look back
13:08and everything you achieved,
13:10was winning the Champions League the ultimate for you?
13:13And how much did the competition mean in your career?
13:16Yeah, it is a one-off feeling and instant kind of emotion.
13:20Yeah, definitely winning the Champions League is the best feeling
13:23I've ended up enough to have as a footballer.
13:26So, I think on top of that, probably over the time,
13:29I think the longevity in playing over the period of time
13:32gives you a lot of satisfaction as a footballer to have a career up.
13:35To win the Champions League for me was the ultimate
13:38and it was the best feeling I've had.
13:41It would be nice someday to feel that again.
13:45Thanks, everyone.
13:47I'm you.
13:50I don't know the troubles.
13:57Go ahead.
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