The Manchester United midfielder Michael Carrick has said that his teammates should be remaining calm ahead of the crucial Manchester derby this weekend.
This is one of the important matches played between the two clubs as it could have a huge say in the destination of the Premier league title. The former Tottenham midfielder has been one of the impressive performers for Sir Alex Ferguson's men this season. United have conceded a lot of goals this season, but they have also been breathtaking in attack. As a result, they sit top of the table going into the Manchester derby.
This is one match that Manchester United certainly cannot afford to lose because they are already suffering from the disappointment of having lost 6-1 at home to Manchester City last season. Carrick believes that this game will not determine the destination of the title, but how the team and the players perform over the rest of the campaign is what counts. However, he is hoping that Manchester United players put in a real performance on Sunday in order to get them six points clear of City in the table. This would be a massive advantage even at this halfway stage in the season according to Carrick.
"We want to be top of the league, but at this stage does it mean a lot? I'm not too sure how much it really means. It's a one-off game regardless of who's top of the league. It's nice because we want to be top and we go there in good shape, so we go there full of confidence and looking forward to the game. It's a big game, of course it is and we know that, but it's important not to get too carried away with it as players because we want to go there and put in a good performance," said Carrick.