'I was there for Michael Carrick's passionate speech - one thing is clear'

Carrick leaned forward into the desk and announced he would "start today". He looked down for a brief moment before declaring he wanted to say "a few things" - but he delivered a lot more than that.

The 45-year-old gave a passionate speech lasting five minutes and 36 seconds, acknowledging this season's poor results and that his side had "lost their way," but vowing they would "get it back."

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To get it, it's a simple one-two punch.

Carrick took a page from the Sir Alex Ferguson playbook to address the press before a question had even been asked. The legendary Scot would occasionally open with a statement during press conferences when he felt the time was right.

For a brief moment, it seemed like Carrick may cause an almighty shock by announcing his resignation, or that he would confirm Bournemouth would be his last game, but the speech was a remarkably candid call to arms.

"Just want to say a few things, really," Carrick said. "I think it's important. I think recently we haven't had a good time. I think that's pretty obvious. So, I totally accept that what we're going through at the moment, we had five months of relative success in a spell where I was happy with a lot of things that I was seeing and that we were doing as a team.

"We haven't done well enough lately. I think that's pretty obvious to say. And we've had a spell that we're really not happy with. Wednesday was a bad night. It was a bad night for a lot of reasons, and it was a bad night that kind of hurt a lot. And it obviously hurt me to see us play like that, to see how the game panned out. It was, as I said after the game, it was really unacceptable for us to play like that and to be like that.

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"The supporters are a huge part of this football club. For me, to see the supporters after making the effort and the time, spending the money to come and support us on Wednesday, and having the feeling after the game, as we all felt, was a tough moment. I think that's pretty obvious.

"My responsibility is to get a team on the pitch that represents this football club, represents the supporters, and they can be proud of the identity that we show. We have gone away from that just recently in certain games, which I'm totally fully aware of and definitely doing something about. So, I think it's important that we all recognise that. I certainly recognise it.

"Our supporters are of the utmost importance to me in this football club. For them to feel like they felt for five months at the start of the year, for us to have that about us and that connection and that real vigour and intensity and enjoyment and passion that we all felt through that period was something that we need to get back to. And we will get back to it. I fully believe that, but I think it's important that we recognise that we haven't been doing that."

Carrick approached the away section after losing against Como and held his hands up to apologise. It was clear he was being sincere when he was talking about fans deserving more - and just how much he cared.

Carrick continued by speaking about United's history and values. "The foundation of this football club and the values of this football club have been put down and etched for many, many years," he said.

"I totally understand, and I get every single one of them. It comes down to humility, it comes down to being humble, it comes down to being hard-working and being really proud to work hard and being proud to live up to those values.

"There's a resilience about this football club that's been shown for a long, long time. Whether that's bouncing back from adversity, whether that's comebacks, whether that's late goals, whether that's success, whether that's sustaining success, there's a resilience in this football club that runs very, very deep. I've seen it with my own eyes, I've felt it, I'm aware of some of the individuals and know them closely who have been a big part of that history.

"I said it after the game: Manchester United is always bigger, and it always has been, always will be bigger than any single individual. Bigger than me, bigger than any of the players, and it always has been. I was fortunate enough to know some players myself and play with some. Ryan Giggs, arguably one of the greatest to play for this football club, it was never about Ryan Giggs, it was about Manchester United. Wayne Rooney was top goalscorer of this football club.

"His biggest thing was playing for the team, sacrificing for the team, and what was good for Manchester United. Sir Alex Ferguson, the best manager of all time, the greatest for me, working with him and his main priority was Manchester United. Going back to Sir Matt, Sir Bobby, the resilience was beyond belief of what they showed and the way they rebuilt this football club.

"At the moment, yeah, we're in a moment where it's not going well. So, we need to show exactly what it means and respect this football club, respect what it takes to be here, respect what it takes to win, what you have to do to win. I'm not entitled to be here. Entitlement cannot be at this football club. We're not entitled to win. We've won in the past, we've got an incredible history, but that doesn't mean that you're entitled to just win."

It was fascinating to hear Carrick speak about the club's history just two days after Bruno Fernandes suggested United are too fixated on their past.

“At this club, there’s too much focus on what’s been done in the past, but we’re not those people anymore," Fernandes told Sky Italia after losing against Como.

"The club and the players need to understand that. Unfortunately for us - especially when it comes to the players - those who join expect to win trophies, win games, and reach the highest level, but unfortunately, that's been very difficult at this club in recent years. That's the situation.”

That part of the speech felt like a deliberate ploy by Carrick to urge his players, including his captain, to stop sniping and get on with the job at hand, just as their more talented predecessors did in teams Carrick was part of.

The speech was a bold show of leadership at a time when column inches are dominated by his uncertain future. Carrick had given thought to the message he wanted to convey, and he struck the right tone.

He said his customary goodbye when the press conference was over. It could be Carrick's last press conference at Carrington if United lose against Bournemouth tomorrow, but he isn't going down without a fight.