Michael Carrick is preparing for his first full season in charge at Manchester United.
The Red Devils didn’t get off to the best start in pre-season, losing 1-0 to Wrexham. They bounced back to beat Rosenborg and Atletico Madrid, before a pair of draws with Paris Saint-Germain and Leeds United.
Man Utd have one more pre-season friendly, against AC Milan, before opening their Premier League campaign away to newly-promoted Hull City.
So, how are Man Utd shaping up under Carrick?
In this article, we’ll cover
In-possession approach
Man Utd have been building out in a 1-4-2-4 shape from goal kicks and restarts. The centre-backs have been splitting either side of the goalkeeper in this system.
While Carrick wants his side to build up, they are very happy to go long if they can access a four-on-four on the last line. This is often seen against man-to-man pressing schemes.
In more settled buildup, this is handled by the two centre-backs and the double pivot. They form either a 3-1 or a 2-2 base as they find solutions to play out.
Carrick also wants his side to connect and combine via short-range passes, baiting the opposition press before increasing the tempo to progress through the thirds with more verticality.
This suits the players Carrick currently has at his disposal. The midfield are brilliant at shifting the tempo, while the forwards are attuned on when to drop to receive, and when to attack space in behind.
Carrick’s side are well-attunted to combinations in the final third, with the ball being their main reference point. Those ahead of the ball are constantly looking to offer options around it. Others make runs off the ball to clear and create space.
These synergies between the players will only continue to grow, as everyone knows their strengths and plays to their instincts. They develop a full understanding of their teammates through this.
Out-of-possession approach
There have been some interesting things about Man Utd off the ball in pre-season, with different triggers in their press. The Red Devils have been setting up in a 4-2-4, looking to use their wide forwards to trigger jumps down the flanks.
The No.10 has been staying slightly lower to cover the opposition No.6. And the striker is ready to jump to one of the centre-backs.
But the wide men are then instructed to jump onto the other centre-back, which triggers jumps behind. Down that same side, the full-back will jump onto their opposing number, while ther near-side centre-back slides across.
The central midfielders also have more protection in this structure. They don’t have to jump onto the opposition pivot, allowing them to protect the space in the middle.
However, they are then expected to slide across as part of those wide jumps. This allows them to pick up any spare man/runner down that side.
As the opposition gather more settled possession and Man Utd get pushed deeper, this begins to resemble a normal 4-4-2 block.
The defensive line is active to close the space between themselves and the midfield line, keeping those two banks of four nice and compact.
In doing this, Man Utd’s line can often be caught high, looking to stay solid in their midblock rather than dropping too deep.
However, Carrick’s side have the athleticism in their defensive line to deal with this. Especially when using a centre-back pairing of Leny Yoro and Ayden Heaven.
Squad needs and profiling
Man Utd have added three players this summer. Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans have joined the midfield unit, and Karl Darlow has added goalkeeper depth.
A midfield rebuild was always on the cards as Casemiro left the club at the end of the season. Both Santos and Tielemans make perfect sense for Carrick’s midfield. The pair are attuned to close combination play, always looking to offer a passing option, and always wanting to get on the ball.
Many expect Man Utd to add one more midfield. The brief is an option who provides more athleticism and dominance over larger distances.
The attacking unit was heavily revamped last season, with Matheus Cunha, Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko joining the club.
With the potential of Marcus Rashford staying at the club next season and Patrick Dorgu now being viewed as a wide player on the left, it is unlikely there will be any movement for incomings in this department this summer.
Aside from midfield, another left-back addition could be on the cards. Luke Shaw is the only true left-back option unless Harry Amass stays at the club, instead of going on loan.
With the full-backs expected to occupy width further forward, but also rotate infield to isolate the wide men at times, technical quality both inside and outside the block would be desirable.
The rest of the squad should be good to go for the upcoming season, with the centre-back options looking strong with experienced players alongside very promising young defenders.