Michael Carrick insists his impressive start as Manchester United manager has not changed his prospects of getting the job permanently.
Carrick has overseen wins over Manchester City, Arsenal and Fulham in his first three games in charge.
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It has raised the possibility that the former England midfielder could win the role full-time, but Carrick says a potential promotion is still a long way off.
«Nothing’s changed, no,» Carrick told a news conference ahead of Tottenham’s visit to Old Trafford on Saturday.
«To be honest, it’s not going to change what I do or how I feel about it. I think I’m fully aware of the role I’m doing here and the responsibility I’ve got.
«We want to be successful. I want the club to be successful beyond the end of the season: if that’s me, if that’s somebody else.
«At this stage, I can’t control that, and we’ll see what happens.»
United are committed to a full recruitment process as they search for a successor to Ruben Amorim, who was sacked last month.
Few supporters had Carrick as their first choice to become the next permanent manager when he was appointed until the end of the season, but opinion has started to shift.
Carrick, though, believes the club should not be swayed by the impact of short-term results — however good they’ve been.
«The results of a short period of time don’t change it,» he said. «If they have changed that, there is something wrong.
«It can’t be so knee-jerk whether it’s really good, whether there’s a few issues we need to solve. It’s steady progress really.
«You kind of know that football can twist and turn just as quickly, so we have got to keep level and keep focusing on what we need to do.»
With two games in four days against Tottenham and West Ham, Carrick has the chance to make it five wins from five before the squad get a 12-day break due to their early exit from the FA Cup.
«I’m loving what I’m doing,» said Carrick
«I’m here, I feel at home here, but I fully understand the situation, so I’m not getting too carried away.»
