Carrick happy to fight for place

Michael Carrick’s future at Tottenham is safe but he has been warned by head coach Jacques Santini that reputations and price tags count for nothing when it comes to team selection.

Reports this morning suggested Carrick, a summer signing from West Ham, stormed out of the club’s training ground after he was left out of the squad for last weekend’s game against Bolton, despite being fit.

The claims have been denied by Carrick’s representatives and talk that he could leave in the January transfer window rubbished by Tottenham sporting director Frank Arnesen.

“Michael is a huge talent, an important signing for us in the summer and he remains so,” said Arnesen.

“Any talk of him leaving in January is nonsense. Everyone can see there is competition for places in central midfield and he has to be patient. Strong competition for places in every position is vital in today’s football.”

But the fact remains that one of Tottenham’s more expensive summer purchases is yet to start a first team game, with Sean Davis, Pedro Mendes, Jamie Redknapp and Michael Brown all seemingly ahead of him in the pecking order.

Santini said: “When I think a player is not ready to start or be on the bench I won’t put him in the squad.

“Being the best player is not about being the most expensive player.

“It does not matter how much players cost or whether they are internationals. It is the same for every player. I choose the best XI to start. It is my decision.”

Santini suggested Carrick, who suffered an ankle injury shortly after arriving at Tottenham, has taken time to settle and is not expected to start against Fulham tomorrow even though Redknapp is suspended.

“When a new player arrives at a club he needs information, he needs to play with his new team-mates but Michael came later and also he was injured immediately,” said Santini.

“He has needed time. For the next week it is possible for Michael Carrick to give a good performance.

“Competition for places is the same for every player. For me the most important thing is the team.”

Arnesen stepped in to sign Carrick from West Ham after the prospect of a move to north London rivals Arsenal collapsed.

Carrick hardly ingratiated himself to his new club by reportedly declaring at the time: “If you get the chance to go to Arsenal, you go. But that deal fell through. Tottenham came in and this has been an ideal move for me“.

He then injured his ankle and spent five weeks on the sidelines as Tottenham, and Davis in particular, made an impressive start to the season without him.

Now fit, Carrick is frustrated at not breaking into the starting XI but is relishing the competition for places.

“I want to be playing as much as I can, of course I do, but there are a lot of players competing and I’m aware I can’t just turn up and play,” he told the Football Association’s official website, www.thefa.com.

“You can’t complain when the team are getting good results without you but there is no chance of regretting the move.”

Santini is expected to once again prefer Davis to Carrick after describing the former Fulham midfielder as one of Tottenham’s key figures.

Davis was a regular as Tottenham made an impressive start to the season before he suffered a knee injury. Without him in the starting line-up, Spurs managed just one win in six Barclays Premiership games.

“Sean Davis is a very important player,” said Santini.

“We need our best players and when you don’t have Sean Davis or other big players it is difficult. The team is not the same.

“I am very happy that it is possible for him to play now, I hope his injury is now in the past.”

Santini insisted he never gets emotional when facing a former club, but Davis is looking forward to a “special” afternoon at Craven Cottage.

“It is the only other club I’ve ever been at and they showed a lot of faith and loyalty to me,” he said.

“Fulham are one of the main reasons why I am a professional footballer today so I owe a lot to them. I am a Tottenham player now though and I am going to go there and enjoy it.”

Santini is missing Timothee Atouba, Erik Edman and Anthony Gardner through injury plus the suspended Redknapp.

Mauricio Tarricco is available for selection after suspension, but Santini left him out of the Carling Cup game because he lacked fitness and preferred Goran Bunjevcevic at left back.