Michael Carrick admits it is the Premier League title or nothing for Manchester United next season, writes David McDonnell in Houston for The Mirror Sport.
Newly-appointed skipper Carrick says winning the title is the only thing that will satisfy Jose Mourinho and his players.
And he says he cannot understand the mentality of clubs who view a top-four finish like winning a trophy.
“I can’t get my head round that, to say the top-four is acceptable,” said midfielder Carrick .
“I know we’ve had changes and adjusted as players have come in and out, and you can’t expect to win the league every year, but you’ve got to set out to do that.
“It’s all about winning things.
"In some ways, it’s winning the league or nothing.
It’s another one gone by if you haven’t won it. That’s the way I see it.
“We can’t be sat here saying, ‘Finishing in the top four is a step up from last season’.
That’s not what we’re about here. We need to be aiming for the top.
"It’s a big club, this — a beast of a football club.
I think it has [consumed certain players] over the years. We can all see that.
There is a certain level of expectation, standards and scrutiny, that you probably don’t get elsewhere.”
Carrick, a serial trophy winner since he joined from Tottenham for £18million in 2006, has had to endure an unfamiliar barren spell at Old Trafford in recent years.
United have not challenged for the title since Sir Alex Ferguson retired on the back of their 20th championship win in 2013.
“There’s been a lot of change at the club,” said Carrick. “When that happens, sometimes it takes a lot of time for people to find their feet.
“There have been times in the league when standards have dropped, there’s no hiding from that.
“But that doesn’t mean you can’t get back there again, if you keep doing the right things. I know we haven’t done great in the league, but we’ve still managed to win things.
“After the FA Cup win, for this new squad, to get that winning feeling is important.
“You can’t underestimate how important that can be. We managed to build on that last season.
We won the Europa League, the EFL Cup and now we’re back in the Champions League.”
Carrick is convinced United have, in Mourinho, the natural successor to Ferguson, an habitual winner driven by the pursuit of trophies.
“They’re quite different personalities, but of course they’ve both got that drive and desire to win, which is all that matters,” added the 35-year-old.
“Everywhere Jose’s been, he’s won. He’s a winner. He’s done it in different ways, his sides have played different styles, but he’s always found a way to win.
“Even last year, we weren’t at our best for parts of the season, but found a way to win trophies.
“That’s the biggest thing I can say about him – he’s a winner and his desire and drive to win rubs off on everyone.”
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