With Ruben Amorim explosively leaving Old Trafford, Manchester United have confirmed Michael Carrick as interim manager for the remainder of the season.
Carrick has taken temporary charge of Man Utd before, overseeing three matches after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s departure in 2021. Man Utd won two and drew one of those matches.
As caretaker, Carrick brought some calm and steadied the ship as Solskjaer struggled to fit Cristiano Ronaldo in.
However, his task this time is much different. Man Utd’s squad has been moulded in a manager’s vision who has rigidly stuck to one formation.
Under Darren Fletcher, Man Utd looked aggressive, bright and front–footed against Burnley. Their defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion was a different story.
There is a lot of work to do, and a lot riding on Man Utd qualifying for the Champions League. Carrick’s task will be far from easy.
In this article we’ll cover
Drops in intensity
Man Utd’s summer signings, coupled with the amount of set-piece goals they score, has reinvigorated their attack.
The Red Devils are the third-highest scorers in the league behind Manchester City and Arsenal. But they also have the worst defence in the top half. In fact, only the bottom six have conceded more goals.
Amorim couldn’t find a balance between in-possession, patient buildup, and relying on the ‘Man Utd DNA’ to go for it in games.
Time after time, Amorim was too risk averse. When Man Utd took the lead in games, they ended up conceding as they dropped the intensity shortly after. Only three teams have dropped more points from winning positions in the Premier League this season than Man Utd’s 14.
As the graphic below shows, Man Utd’s lack of width in these games can be a problem.
Why does this happen? The desperation to win often beat Man Utd’s actual quality.
Amorim’s 3-4-3 was not penetrative enough. And even when it was, Man Utd couldn’t rely on the system to sustain their leads long enough.
Carrick has to make Man Utd into a calmer, composed side that doesn’t fall back into a mid/low block to defend their lead.
A model needs to be put in place in which Man Utd know how to attack teams and sustain the same level for 90 minutes.
Misfiring full-backs
Think of the best teams in the world. They tend to have excellent attacking full-backs. The role has developed massively since Trent Alexander Arnold and Joao Cancelo evolved the role as inverted full-backs.
Man Utd do not have this. Although Patrick Dorgu has shown promise of late, he and Diogo Dalot are not at the levels required for Man Utd to be lethal in front of goal.
Amad Diallo has been a miss while on international duty at the Africa Cup of Nations. But even he is a winger converted into a wing-back.
If Bruno Fernandes, Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo haven’t stepped up in attack, it feels like no one else does. It’s salient that Amorim’s 3-4-3 thrived on wing-backs performing well. And it didn’t feel like anyone bar Diallo nailed the role in the team.
Even if Carrick comes in and doesn’t play three at the back, he may look to buy a full-back or two in January.
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Central midfield
Another problem going under the radar is to do with Casemiro. When the Brazilian gets taken off to manage his minutes, Man Utd implode.
It’s been abundantly clear on many occasions this season that Man Utd are a different team when Casemiro is not on the pitch.
The FA Cup defeat to Brighton was a recent example. With Casemiro on the bench, the Red Devils failed to gain control in the middle of the pitch. It left space for Brighton to run into as their strikers dropped off to receive the ball.
Carrick could elect to play Bruno Fernandes in the position as Amorim did. But then he’ll be losing one of the best chance creators in the world closer to goal.
Manuel Ugarte is wasteful in possession and has failed to make his mark since arriving at Old Trafford.
Kobbie Mainoo has been used more under Fletcher but he will take time to regain confidence and the same match fitness he showed when he burst onto the scene under Erik ten Hag.
It’s something of a double-edges sword. While Man Utd squad lacked depth due to Amorim’s lack of reliance on players outside the his first-choice XI, when the others did start games they were rusty.
Another potential central midfield option would be to push Lisandro Martinez forward. The Argentine looked impressve in his cameo there against Aston Villa.
A suggestion could genuinely be to play Lisandro Martinez in the role who looked impressive in his cameo at central midfield against Aston Villa.
Man Utd will want to return for Carlos Baleba, but there is not guarantee that he makes the move.
In his previous short stint as caretaker manager, Carrick showed that he could bring smart tactical nous to a tough problem. He will need to bring similar guile to a team under constant pressure if he is to salvage Man Utd’s season.