After signing for Manchester City, Elliot Anderson has called his team, 'the kings of Manchester, ' a phrase that has drawn the ire of Manchester United fans.
Anderson snubbed United when joining City and made sure to give his view on which Manchester club currently sits on the throne. Now, the Red Devils' head coach Michael Carrick has given his verdict on the England international's comments.
'We're Humble Enough' - Carrick Responds to Anderson
The English midfielder who joined City from Nottingham Forest for £116m, took a jibe at their cross-city rivals. He said after being unveiled:
"It’s been one of the biggest derbies in the world. And for as long as I’ve known, City have been the Kings of Manchester."
Since Anderson was ten years old, City have won seven Premier League titles, three FA Cups, seven League Cups, a Champions League, and a Club World Cup. In that time, United have won two FA Cups, two League Cups and a Europa League.
Carrick offered a diplomatic response in his pre-match press conference:
"I'm definitely not using that phrase at all, no. We’re humble enough and realistic enough to know where we've come from in recent history. We need to, and want to be better, and we want to be challenging more"
Carrick focused on the positives amid a blue cloud swamping over Old Trafford over the past decade:
"It is good, in a way, that expectation has shifted. All of a sudden, there are different things asked of us to maybe what was asked of us a few months ago. We are in the Champions League - that in itself shows the steps we have made. Now, it is about the next stage. We need to, and want to be better, and we want to be challenging more. That’s where we're at. It doesn't mean that we can't and we won't. It means we still hope, we believe, and we expect that we can be and we should be, but I understand the bigger picture.”
Derby day history favours Maresca's City
Of the last 20 Premier League meetings between the clubs, City have won 10, United have won seven, and there have been three draws. The last time the Red Devils finished above the Cityzens in the Premier League was at the end of the 2012-13 season.
The once 'noisy neighbours' have officially overtaken Manchester United in recent years, and if there isn't anyone who wants that to change more than Carrick, who spent his playing career with the Old Trafford outfit.
Interestingly, City haven't won at the Theatre of Dreams since their 3-0 win just shy of three years ago. Erling Haaland's brace put the game out of reach early in the second half before Phil Foden put the game to bed in the 80th minute. Just four players from that starting 11 currently remain in Enzo Maresca's squad, while Carrick has become the third United managerial appointment.
Courteous Praise in Derby Day Press Conferences
Carrick previewed the clash with praise:
"They are a very good team. We know we have to put in a good performance and do a lot of things right to get a result. We are looking forward to it. We have got a short space of time to recover and prepare for it, but we will make the most of it.”
Maresca returned the praise of Manchester United, hailing Carrick's "fantastic job" since his appointment last season. ‘He took over in a complicated, difficult situation. They finish very well. "This season, more or less, they’ve started in the same way. He is doing a very good job".
The Italian also complimented the signing of his former Chelsea midfielder Santos "Andrey is a very good guy, first of all. Polite, humble, hard-working. So, all the best to him. I can only speak very good about Andrey".
