Carrick wants to revive Ferguson's glory days at Manchester United

Carrick believes Manchester United can return to Ferguson's winning standards, comparing the club's current struggles to the dire situation Ferguson inherited 40 years ago.

Friday marked exactly 40 years since Sir Alex Ferguson arrived at Manchester United to rescue the club from crisis. The parallels to today are striking: then as now, United sat just above the relegation zone on goal difference.

Manager Michael Carrick addressed the comparison at his pre-match press conference ahead of Friday's fixture against Aston Villa, insisting the club's ambitions to recapture Ferguson's era of dominance—13 Premier League titles and two Champions Leagues in 26 years—remain realistic. "It's not impossible," Carrick said. "Everything is possible, but you have to build, and be realistic. Success takes time and we don't like it when things take time. But if you want to build something, it takes a period. You can't cut corners. Ultimately you want to reach that one endpoint and that's certainly possible."

Carrick, who played under Ferguson, revealed he now speaks to the legendary manager more frequently than during his playing days. "Since the day I arrived here, he's had an enormous impact on me as a person," Carrick said.