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Michael Carrick says finishing in the top four will not be good enough for Manchester United next season, and that "it's win the league or nothing for me." United were a disappointing sixth in the Premier League last campaign, but qualified for the 2017-18 Champions League through their triumph over Ajax in the Europa League final. A top-four finish would have guaranteed at least entry into the playoff round of Europe's top competition, but Carrick told reporters on Thursday Jose Mourinho's side will set their sights even higher for the upcoming campaign. "I can't get my head around that, to say top-four is acceptable," Carrick said. "You can't expect to win the league every year. But you've got to set out to do that. We can't be sat here saying finishing in the top four is a step up from last season. That's not what we're about here. "We need to be aiming for the top. As players, we understand that, and that's what we're geared for as a club. We've got to put it into practice and take it a step further than we have done the last few years. It's pretty much win the league or nothing for me." The England international has been with United since 2006, when he moved from Tottenham for €27 million. A five-time Premier League winner, Carrick wants to instill the principles he learned with Sir Alex Ferguson's teams. "I'm well aware of the standards that need to be set at this club," he said. "I've been fortunate to have played with some great leaders and characters in my career here and I've learned a lot. "There have been times in the league when standards have dropped, there's no hiding from that. But that doesn't mean you can't get back there again if you keep doing the right things. "It's a big club, this; a beast of a football club. There are things that come with that: responsibility, pressure and expectation, and that's only off the pitch. So when you get on the pitch it's a different ball game as well. "When you're here, it's difficult to explain how different it can be to other clubs until you go through it. There are big players who come here and, for whatever reason, it hasn't worked for them." Carrick added that he believes fellow midfielder Paul Pogba has the "presence" and "character" to be United's next captain. Carrick took the armband from Wayne Rooney earlier this month after the England international forward completed a move back to Everton, where he began his professional career. The soon-to-be 36-year-old doesn't appear to have much time left at Old Trafford and told reporters that world record-signing Pogba, who joined United just last summer, has what it takes to captain the club in the future. "He's certainly got the presence, character and belief to pull it off," Carrick said of the 24-year-old midfielder. "All the time I'm sure the manager is planning a long way behind me, for someone to take on that mantle and he's probably in that bracket where you'd say -- 'yeah, he can be a future captain.' "You need that inner confidence and inner belief. You're going to take some knocks, suffer some bumps and bruises along the way and take a lot of criticism. But you have to fight that off and be strong enough to get on with the job and believe in yourself." Pogba, 24, didn't immediately impress upon his ballyhooed arrival from Juventus. He finished the season with just nine goals in 51 appearances over all competitions. Carrick preached patience with the France international, saying he needed time to adjust. "He's had a year to adjust. I know he was here as a kid, but a lot has gone on since then and he's played a lot of different football since then," Carrick added. "So to come back with all the scrutiny he had last year and everything surrounding it, it was probably always going to be one of those years where you take time to settle in and improve. I think we've seen the improvement and we'll see it again next season."
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