Manchester United seem to be leaning towards appointing Michael Carrick as permanent manager after a successful spell as interim.
The head coaching gig at Old Trafford has been a delicate topic ever since Sir Alex Ferguson retired back in 2013.
But the Red Devils seemed to hit rock-bottom under Ruben Amorim. Their worst Premier League finish in history (15th), stubbornness with the system and failure to get the best out of his players.
The board sacked him in January and turned to Michael Carrick looking for stability short-term. However, the former midfielder has offered much more than that since taking over as interim head coach.
Why should Michael Carrick be the new Manchester United manager?
Continuity
For perspective, only Manchester City (34) have won more points than Man United (33) in the 15 Premier League matchweeks during Carrick’s tenure.
There is always going to be the caveat that the Red Devils have been playing league football only since December. They had the luxury of placing their full focus in one competition while rivals have been busy in cup ties and European fixtures.
But in Carrick’s defence, you can only deal with what is thrown at you. His task at hand was to deliver stability and guide them back to the Champions League – and he passed with flying colours.
Every time United tried to disrupt something and go in a different direction, the decision has backfired. And they hired highly accomplished managers in Erik Ten Hag and Ruben Amorim.
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Granted, none of them had experience managing a club as big as United. But what they achieved at Ajax and Sporting was impressive.
So maybe this time, continuity would be a better plan. The players seem to have adapted well to his style and are playing with joy. Which brings us to the next topic.
Squad compatibility
This is a two-way street. While the individuals look more comfortable under Carrick than under Amorim, Carrick himself seems to have understood what each and every one of them can deliver.
Bruno Fernandes is back playing as an attacking midfielder. This simple – and quite obvious – adjustment may earn him a few individual awards and possibly even the assist record.
Kobbie Mainoo barely played with the Portuguese manager and nearly left the club in the January transfer window. Now, is one of the most important players in Carrick’s system.
His on-ball skills are still great and he is important both organising the team as a deep distributor or taking the ball forward himself. The youngster has great chemistry with Casemiro – who also benefitted from the new tactics in the attacking half.
Benjamin Sesko started scoring again and Carrick has a great feel for what games require the Slovenian’s presence or Bryan Mbeumo’s pace up front.
Harry Maguire looks like his best, old self again. Patrick Dorgu has adjusted well to coming off the bench as a winger to add protection to the left flank. Diogo Dalot is playing the best football of his career. Noussair Mazraoui can still make an impact despite not playing much.
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The only player that seems to have regressed is Amad Diallo. He excelled as an attacking right-wing-back under Amorim and has struggled to replicate his form in the right wing with Carrick.
It has gotten to a point where even with a few changes to the lineup, the team still produces and plays well. That is the testament to a great job from the coaching staff.
There were arguably a few too many at once against Sunderland, however, which led to a poor performance. But overall, it’s not likely to be the case. There is a chance he was experimenting with the squad after securing Champions League football.
United DNA
Not only that, but the Red Devils have been playing the ‘Manchester United way’ under Carrick. Which also goes to show how adaptable the former midfielder is.
His Middlesbrough side became famous for playing great possession football in the Championship. He liked to dominate teams and dictate the terms of games.
Now, Man United are averaging just under 50% possession under his command, compared to 54% under Amorim. And yet, they attempt more passes per game with the Englishman (468) than with the Portuguese (463).
It’s a great mix of verticality and intricate play. The Red Devils are third in direct attacks and fourth in build-up attacks in the Premier League since the former midfielder took over.
Ironically, they have been struggling more in his preferred patient approach, yet to score from build-up attacks. Meanwhile, they have found the net twice in vertical sequences – the third most of any team in this span.
There are obviously many managers who are better than Michael Carrick. But hiring most of them would be sort of a gamble, considering the size of the club and everything that has happened over the last 13 years.
They ultimately need more stability and XXX instead of immediately trying to win every single competition they play. That is not their reality and there should be a long-term plan to get them there, rather than trying to take shortcuts and return to the glory days overnight.
It feels like Carrick is the perfect man for what they need at the moment. Not only was he a part of the squad during their golden era and also the start of the decline, but has already done a tremendous job getting them back on track this season.
That is not to say, however, that it won’t take some improvements from his part as well. He will have to navigate multiple competitions and face pressure to succeed. Expectations might not be the highest immediately, but there is a certain standard to meet as Manchester United manager.