Michael Carrick says two wins out of two in the Champions
League this season is pleasing, but he insists there is still plenty of
hard work left to ensure qualification for the knock-out stages.
The Reds currently sit top of Group H having taken maximum points from their opening two matches against Galatasaray and Cluj.
A
double-header with Portuguese side Braga is next up with the pair
facing each other at Old Trafford on Tuesday night before meeting in
Portugal in two weeks time.
"We are not getting carried away," Carrick told PA Sport. "We cannot afford to think that just because we have had a good start it is going to be an easy ride. That is not the case
"It
could come back and bite us. We will go into this game [against Braga]
like any other and just look to put ourselves in an even better position
without looking too far ahead.
"It can be quite tough in the
Champions League to judge [who will qualify from each group]. Some
people might pick out two teams in a group and say they will be the top
two and the others will struggle. Quite a lot of the time, that is not
the case.
"It isn't necessarily the teams that catch your eye
[namewise] who are the ones that cause you problems. We know even in
Cluj, it wasn't straightforward. The lads had to play well to get a
result. That is the nature of European football.
"Braga are a good
team. You have to respect them for getting to this stage to start with.
It is not easy in any league to go through the whole season near the
top [and qualify for the Champions League]. You have to respect them.
They are going to be of a certain standard and we have to match it."
With six points already in the bag, Carrick says the players are
determined to have qualification for the last 16 wrapped up as soon as
possible and ensure there is no repeat of last season's early exit.
"It
does help the league form if you can get through early. The manager can
change things around and rest players," added the 31-year-old.
"He
can use the squad and give players game time. The pressure is off. He
can start planning ahead knowing the next stage is already secure.
"It's
not always possible though. Sometimes it can go down to the last game,
which in itself is not always a bad thing. But it's definitely better to
get it done and dusted. We hope we can do that."
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