A season without European club competition at Old Trafford is considered a failure so high are the standards set by Manchester United.
Louis van Gaal was hired to lift United back to the glory days but the wily Dutchman knows it won’t be easy for him to put the team back on track after a dull period with former manager David Moyes in charge.
One player Van Gaal is relying on this season is midfielder Michael Carrick.
“For us, it is just about looking at ourselves and getting back to some sort of run and some sort of form that breeds momentum again,” Carrick was quoted as saying recently.
Carrick was born on July 28, 1981 in Wallsend, Tyne and Wear.
His career took off in 1986 with Wallsend Boys Club and three years later he joined West Ham United. During his days at Upton Park he was loaned to Swindon and Birmingham.
In his senior career he remained with the Hammers until 2004 when he joined London rivals Tottenham. Two years later Carrick made the move to Manchester United.
Carrick made his West Ham breakthrough in the 2000-01 season, playing 41 games in all competitions. His only goal that year came in a 1-1 home draw against Aston Villa.
The 2001-02 campaign saw Carrick making 32 appearances for the Hammers. He scored twice during the season, including the first goal in a 2-1 win over Chelsea.
Towards the end of the season, Carrick suffered a recurrence of a groin injury which ruled him out of the 2002 World Cup .
The 2002-03 season was disaster as West Ham were relegated from the Premier League.
Carrick stayed with the Londoners in 2003-04, helping West Ham to finish fourth to ensure a place in the play-offs. However, West Ham lost 1-0 in the final to Crystal Palace and were denied a return to the top flight.
Carrick opted to leave West Ham and on August 20, 2004 he teamed up with Tottenham for £3.5 million. His debut for Spurs came on October 18 as a substitute in a 1-0 upset to Portsmouth under manager Jacques Santini, who overlooked him.
Yet under new manager Martin Jol, Carrick soon emerged as a regular in midfield. His first full start for Tottenham was also Jol’s first game in the League Cup. Carrick subsequently ended the season with 29 league appearances.
On December 3, 2005, Carrick scored his first Tottenham goal as he netted the winner in a 3-2 home win over Sunderland.
Before the start of the 2006-07 campaign, Tottenham announced that the club had agreed a deal for the transfer of Carrick to Manchester United for a fee of £18.6m. He was handed the no.16 shirt, previously worn by Roy Keane.
At United, Carrick’s career flourished with every match he played.
He established himself as a key member of the team that won the Premier League in 2006-07.
The following season, Carrick was part of the United side that won the Champions League final against Chelsea with Carrick scoring for the Red Devils in a dramatic penalty shoot-out in Moscow.
Carrick enjoyed a third consecutive Premier League title triumph in the 2008-09 campaign, but could not prevent a Champions League final defeat to mighty Barcelona.
Carrick went on to help United claim the Premier League two more times − in successive years 2011 and 2012. He was also part of the side that finished runners-up in the 2011 Champions League final, again to Barcelona.
Carrick has represented England at under-18, under-21, B and senior levels.
He made his England debut in 2001 and has since gained 31 caps but is yet to score an international goal. He has been a member of the England squad for two major tournaments, the 2006 and 2010 World Cups.