Man Utd midfielder Michael Carrick believes his achievements should be enough to silence critics.
Midfielder thinks records at Utd should silence critics
Michael Carrick believes his Manchester United achievements should be enough to silence critics who still think he is not good enough.
The United midfielder has been part of a squad to reach three Champions League finals and win four Premier League titles since joining the club in 2006.
But the 29-year-old - who is expected to be named in the side for Saturday's Champions League final against Barcelona - has consistently come under criticism from fans and pundits alike, leading to frustration for the England international.
Carrick told the
Daily Mirror: "When people have said I've not been good enough for United's midfield, then yeah, sometimes I do wonder what is good enough for them.
"I've had a fantastic time here, winning four titles in five years, and being involved with three Champions League finals. But of course, I get frustrated at times, because it's winning trophies that sets teams and players apart and we've done that.
"Then I can catch myself and say 'Why the hell are you worrying about it?' It's there for people to see, and if they can't, so what?
"You hope that people realise you must be doing something right to achieve what we have competing against the best teams in the world, but if not, then does that matter? The only thing that matters is winning the next trophy."
And the next could come at Wembley this weekend if United claim victory over the Spanish giants.
But while Carrick must take comfort that he is the best proven English midfielder, in terms of possession and pass completion, he knows the threat rival midfielders Xavi and Andres Iniesta carry for Barca.
And Saturday's showdown will undoubtedly bring back memories for Carrick, who thinks some of the criticism may stem from United's defeat by Barca in the final two years ago.
Focus
Now, despite Barca going into the weekend's game as favourites, Carrick remains confident that United's performance in Rome must be forgotten and the team must focus on claiming another trophy.
Carrick said: "Maybe some of the criticism aimed at me stems from that night against Barca, when the things we tried didn't come off.
"But it's good to get the chance against them again. I'm not bothered about the chance of revenge, or proving anything. It's a more simple motivation than that.
"It's about the chance to play on that stage again, against the biggest sides, and the opportunity to get your hands on the trophy. What happened in the past has happened, you can't change it. But one thing you don't want to go through is that feeling again, ever.
"What is inside all of us in this squad is that we want to get our hands on the trophy and taste that moment at the end.
"We are not the first side Barca have beaten. But to lose like that was devastating, so I can understand why people think we can't beat them.
"But there's no issue, no fear for us. We have beaten them before - we've proved we can beat them. On that night in Rome, it didn't work. But we know where it didn't work and there is no block."
And while Carrick admits listening to critics only leads to distraction, he is adamant United's trophies should speak for themselves.
Carrick added: "We know ourselves where we are. We know at times we haven't played well and our away form hasn't been great, but then we have always been confident.
"I'm happy with the job I'm doing. If people aren't singing my praises, then I don't worry about it. We are reaching our goals - that is the only important thing. Our success will set us apart in the end - let's hope it continues."
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