MICHAEL Carrick is convinced John Terry's assertion that United are past their best will sound a massive clarion call to the all-conquering Champions at the dawn of a new season.

The Chelsea skipper's recent remarks that a side housing the youthful talents of Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney, Carlos Tevez, Nani and Anderson has already reached its peak, is, according to the United midfielder, more than likely to rebound on the jealous Londoners.

Having guided the likes of Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and Gary Neville to more than a decade of success, manager Sir Alex Ferguson would consider it a personal failure if last season's double proved to be the last honours collected by his current crop of players.

He will have already carried out his annual character test, asking each member of his squad if they have the requisite hunger to continue achieving at Old Trafford.

And, as such, will have been pleased to hear Carrick's contention that this is just the beginning for a side that has already won back-to-back titles and the Champions League.

Carrick, a relative veteran at 27, was first in the queue to rubbish Terry's pre-season challenge.

He said: "Personally I want to keep improving, be successful and win more things," he said. "Hopefully, that will drive us on to more success this season. It is harder in the sense that all the other teams have improved and are getting better.

Champions

"We've been champions two years on the spin and are even more of a scalp, so teams are really up for it. We managed to overcome that challenge last season and that success drives you on.

"I think we will improve this season, as well as other teams and it's who can do it over the course of a season.

"We've managed to do it the past couple of years and it's the test to do it again."

A successful defence of the Premier League would see Ferguson win a hat-trick of titles for the second time in his United career, following triumphs from 1999-2001.

But a second successive European Cup will be his primary target, with United never having achieved back-to-back wins in their history, while no club has successfully defended the trophy in the modern era of the Champions League.

Carrick, though, appreciates a repeat of May's victory in Moscow, would be a tall order.

"The big clubs are always going to be in there towards the end of the season and it is really tough," he said. "Those type of things are won and lost on really small things, as we saw in the final last year so you need that bit of luck.

"We've shown we can do it once, so we will try to do it again. If we were to do it again this season, two years in a row, it would be absolutely incredible. But we've got to perform and see how far it takes us."

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