Carrick says Ferguson-level success not impossible for Manchester United

Michael Carrick said it is not impossible for Manchester United to reach the standards set under Sir Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford, according to Sky Sports. The Manchester United boss was asked whether it was realistic for the club to be judged against that benchmark, and replied that anything is possible.

Carrick said bringing success is difficult now, just as it was then, and that sustained success is harder still than brief moments of it. He added that the side must live in the moment and focus on delivering week to week in games.

Ferguson took over a club that had not won the league title since 1967 and needed almost seven years to claim his first championship. His reign went on to include 13 Premier League titles and two Champions League crowns.

Carrick said success does not arrive overnight and takes a period of time to build, with consistency the key and no shortcuts available. He pointed to last season, when the team responded quickly and improved a lot, as evidence of what is possible.

Carrick said the game has changed and always evolves, noting it had already moved on by the time Ferguson arrived after Sir Matt Busby's years. He said he understands the comparisons but that the club has to live in the present while using past experiences to help.

Carrick said he is probably closer to Ferguson now and speaks to him more than during his playing days, and that the relationship has grown into a friendship. He said Ferguson's impact on him as an individual was immense from the moment he arrived, felt more through the habits he tried to pick up than through constant advice. Carrick added that Ferguson's influence on the football club continues.