‘It Pains Me to Say!’ - Michael Carrick Praises Mikel Arteta

Manchester United boss Michael Carrick has praised the ‘incredible job’ Mikel Arteta has done at Arsenal, using the Spaniard as an example of what managers can achieve when given time to build.

Speaking to reporters ahead of Manchester United's trip to Atlético Madrid, Carrick was asked whether it worries him that managers are rarely afforded patience at the top level. The former United midfielder pointed to the Premier League champions, despite admitting it was difficult to do so.

He admitted, ‘It pains me to say, but the one who won the league in our country last season has been there for a long period of time. It’s seven years, and the first two seasons were, correct me if I am wrong, but were seventh, or eight.’

Arsenal finished eighth in both of Arteta’s first two seasons, though the Spaniard did lift the FA Cup in his first campaign in 2020, beating Manchester City in the semi-final before overcoming Chelsea in the final.

The Arsenal hierarchy kept faith in Arteta despite growing pressure from supporters and pundits, and the club gradually rose up the table. A fifth-place finish followed in 2021/22, before three consecutive second-place finishes and, finally, a first league title in 22 years last season.

Arsenal also reached the Champions League final in May, losing to Paris Saint-Germain on penalties in Budapest, and Arteta has recently been rewarded with a new contract that runs until 2030.

Carrick continued, ‘I think he has done an incredible job, Mikel, and that is another example. You know, we’re talking about Sir Alex Ferguson and Diego Simeone who have gone on for a lot longer than that and have built something incredibly special at both football clubs.’

The Englishman put a minor dent in Arsenal’s title ambitions last campaign, as United travelled to The Emirates in January and stunned the home crowd with an 87th-minute winner in only his second match in charge.

It was the second time that the pair had met in the dugout, with the other match also ending in Carrick's favour after Cristiano Ronaldo scored a winner from the spot at Old Trafford in January 2021.

Gabriel Magalhães and Martin Ødegaard were the only Arsenal players to start both matches, while Harry Maguire, Diogo Dalot and Bruno Fernandes started both for United.

His comments offer a contrast to those of José Mourinho, who had a two-year stint at Old Trafford until 2018, after the Portuguese manager suggested last week that Arteta would not have been given the same time at Real Madrid. He claimed the demands at the Bernabéu are different, and that a manager speaking about ‘just the beginning’ after seven years would not be accepted there.

Arteta, meanwhile, has insisted that his hunger remains as strong as ever, as Arsenal look to retain the Premier League title for the first time in their history.