Carrick refuses to address United future after Zirkzee and Dorgu rescue 4-4 draw with Villa

Michael Carrick sidestepped questions about his Manchester United future on Saturday after a dramatic stoppage-time comeback rescued a 4-4 draw against Aston Villa at Old Trafford, with the club now sitting in the Premier League relegation zone.

United were 4-2 down deep into added time before Joshua Zirkzee and Patrick Dorgu struck in quick succession to earn a point that appears, for now, to have kept Carrick in his job heading into the international break.

The 45-year-old confirmed he would not resign, but grew visibly tetchy when pressed on whether he expected talks with the club’s hierarchy during the break. He declined to say whether he anticipated a meeting with chief executive Omar Berrada, director of football Jason Wilcox, or the club’s owners.

“I’m quite clear with what direction the club needs to go in, and it’s got to win games,” Carrick said. “I think there’s more than enough [to turn things around]. Goals change games and you’ve got to deal with it, and it’s part of something we have to improve on drastically, but there’s more than enough. We’re just making it too difficult for ourselves at the moment in certain times.”

Asked whether the international break had arrived at a convenient moment, Carrick acknowledged the turbulence of recent weeks without offering any clarity on his position. “It’s been a right mixed week or two or three really if you’re looking at the events, but I’m pretty clear where we need to go and how we need to get there,” he said.

Carrick gave the impression in his post-match press conference that he expects to take charge of the trip to Liverpool in a fortnight, though he offered no direct confirmation of that. United’s squad will be split for around ten days as international call-ups disperse, before reassembling to prepare for what will be a significant test of whether the comeback against Villa represents any kind of turning point.