Under-pressure Manchester United boss Michael Carrick delivered a passionate and emotional address lasting five minutes and 30 seconds as he battles to save his job.
And he refused to rule out dropping skipper Bruno Fernandes for Sunday’s Premier League meeting with Bournemouth at Old Trafford.
Instead of taking his seat and answering questions as normal in Friday’s scheduled pre-match media conference at Carrington, Carrick said he wanted to start himself.
It was a strategy former boss Sir Alex Ferguson used, although the legendary Scot rarely spoke at such length.
After a run of seven games without a win, culminating in Wednesday’s shocking 4-1 Champions League defeat by Como, and attacks on the club’s hierarchy by defender Lisandro Martinez and then Fernandes’ condemnation of his own tactics in Italy, Carrick wanted to reaffirm his view of what United stood for.
“Recently we haven’t had a good time, I think that’s pretty obvious,” he said.
“Wednesday was a bad night, and it hurt me to see us play like that. It was unacceptable.
“My responsibility is to get a team on the pitch that represents this football club, and the supporters, and they can be proud of in the identity we show. We have gone away from that recently. It’s important we all recognise that.
“The foundation and values of this football club have been etched for many years. I totally understand and get every single one of them.
“There’s a resilience about this football club that runs very deep. I’ve seen it with my own eyes, I’ve felt it, I’m know some of the individuals closely who have been a big part of that history.
“Entitlement cannot be at this football club.
“It was based on being humble, having humility, and hard work. We can never lose that, and I won’t let us lose that.”
Asked about Fernandes and whether he has considered dropping him, a defiant Carrick added: “The most important thing for me is the team, the squad and dynamics in the squad.
“It’s about the football club. I’ll always do what is best for the football club.”