{"id":1423911,"date":"2026-01-13T21:03:40","date_gmt":"2026-01-13T21:03:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/?post_type=features&#038;p=1423911"},"modified":"2026-01-14T16:44:35","modified_gmt":"2026-01-14T16:44:35","slug":"can-michael-carrick-guide-manchester-united-back-to-the-champions-league","status":"publish","type":"features","link":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/can-michael-carrick-guide-manchester-united-back-to-the-champions-league\/","title":{"rendered":"Can Michael Carrick guide Man Utd back to the Champions League?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>With Ruben Amorim explosively leaving Old Trafford, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/stats\/clubs\/manchester-united\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Manchester United<\/a> have confirmed Michael Carrick as interim manager for the remainder of the season.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Carrick has taken temporary charge of Man Utd before, overseeing three matches after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer&#8217;s departure in 2021. Man Utd won two and drew one of those matches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As caretaker, Carrick brought some calm and steadied the ship as Solskjaer struggled to fit Cristiano Ronaldo in.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p>However, his task this time is much different. Man Utd&#8217;s squad has been moulded in a manager\u2019s vision who has rigidly stuck to one formation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Under Darren Fletcher, Man Utd looked aggressive, bright and front\u2013footed against <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/stats\/clubs\/burnley\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Burnley<\/a>. Their defeat to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/stats\/clubs\/brighton-hove-albion\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Brighton and Hove Albion<\/a> was a different story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There is a lot of work to do, and a lot riding on Man Utd qualifying for the Champions League. Carrick&#8217;s task will be far from easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-yoast-seo-table-of-contents yoast-table-of-contents\"><h2>In this article we&#8217;ll cover<\/h2><ul><li><a href=\"#h-drops-in-intensity\" data-level=\"2\">Drops in intensity<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-misfiring-full-backs\" data-level=\"2\">Misfiring full-backs<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-central-midfield\" data-level=\"2\">Central midfield<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-drops-in-intensity\">Drops in intensity<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Man Utd&#8217;s summer signings, coupled with the amount of set-piece goals they score, has reinvigorated their attack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Red Devils are the third-highest scorers in the league behind <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/stats\/clubs\/manchester-city\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Manchester City<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/stats\/clubs\/arsenal\/\">Arsenal<\/a>. But they also have the worst defence in the top half. In fact, only the bottom six have conceded more goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Amorim couldn&#8217;t find a balance between in-possession, patient buildup, and relying on the &#8216;Man Utd DNA&#8217; to go for it in games.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>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&#8217;s 14. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As the graphic below shows, Man Utd&#8217;s lack of width in these games can be a problem.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/01\/13210251\/Average-Positions-Manchester-United-Dropped-Points-1024x1024.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1423912\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/01\/13210251\/Average-Positions-Manchester-United-Dropped-Points-1024x1024.png 1024w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/01\/13210251\/Average-Positions-Manchester-United-Dropped-Points-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/01\/13210251\/Average-Positions-Manchester-United-Dropped-Points-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/01\/13210251\/Average-Positions-Manchester-United-Dropped-Points-768x768.png 768w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/01\/13210251\/Average-Positions-Manchester-United-Dropped-Points-1536x1536.png 1536w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/01\/13210251\/Average-Positions-Manchester-United-Dropped-Points-267x267.png 267w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/01\/13210251\/Average-Positions-Manchester-United-Dropped-Points-200x200.png 200w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/01\/13210251\/Average-Positions-Manchester-United-Dropped-Points-60x60.png 60w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/01\/13210251\/Average-Positions-Manchester-United-Dropped-Points-40x40.png 40w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/01\/13210251\/Average-Positions-Manchester-United-Dropped-Points.png 1620w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Why does this happen? The desperation to win often beat Man Utd&#8217;s actual quality. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Amorim\u2019s 3-4-3 was not penetrative enough. And even when it was, Man Utd couldn\u2019t rely on the system to sustain their leads long enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Carrick has to make Man Utd into a calmer, composed side that doesn\u2019t fall back into a mid\/low block to defend their lead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-misfiring-full-backs\">Misfiring full-backs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If Bruno Fernandes, Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo haven&#8217;t stepped up in attack, it feels like no one else does. It&#8217;s salient that Amorim&#8217;s 3-4-3 thrived on wing-backs performing well. And it didn&#8217;t feel like anyone bar Diallo nailed the role in the team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Even if Carrick comes in and doesn\u2019t play three at the back, he may look to buy a full-back or two in January.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n<hr \/>\r\n<h2>BOYLE Sports offer: Bet \u00a310 Get \u00a340 in free bets<\/h2>\r\n<p>Not signed up to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/bet\/betting-sites\/boylesports\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">BOYLE Sports<\/a> yet? Here's how to claim one of the best bookmaker welcome offers around...<\/p>\r\n<p><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\r\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:list {\"ordered\":true} --><\/p>\r\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><!-- wp:list-item -->\r\n<li>Sign up to BOYLE Sports using this <a href=\"\/en\/go\/boylesports?q=gb-all-con-wof-s-spo\">link<\/a>.<\/li>\r\n<!-- \/wp:list-item -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:list-item -->\r\n<li>Deposit a minimum of \u00a310 (Excluding Skrill\/Moneybookers, Neteller, PayPal, Paysafe or prepaid cards).<\/li>\r\n<!-- \/wp:list-item -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:list-item -->\r\n<li>Place a minimum bet of \u00a310 or more at odds of EVS (2.0) or greater.<\/li>\r\n<!-- \/wp:list-item -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:list-item -->\r\n<li>Receive your \u00a340 in free bets<\/li>\r\n<!-- \/wp:list-item --><\/ol>\r\n<p><!-- \/wp:list -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:image {\"id\":1393641,\"sizeSlug\":\"large\",\"linkDestination\":\"none\"} --><\/p>\r\n<p><a href=\"\/en\/go\/boylesports?q=gb-all-con-wof-s-spo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-1425440 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2022\/04\/20153506\/Screenshot-2026-01-20-153448-1024x323.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"323\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2022\/04\/20153506\/Screenshot-2026-01-20-153448-1024x323.png 1024w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2022\/04\/20153506\/Screenshot-2026-01-20-153448-300x95.png 300w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2022\/04\/20153506\/Screenshot-2026-01-20-153448-768x242.png 768w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2022\/04\/20153506\/Screenshot-2026-01-20-153448-400x126.png 400w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2022\/04\/20153506\/Screenshot-2026-01-20-153448-600x189.png 600w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2022\/04\/20153506\/Screenshot-2026-01-20-153448-190x60.png 190w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2022\/04\/20153506\/Screenshot-2026-01-20-153448-150x47.png 150w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2022\/04\/20153506\/Screenshot-2026-01-20-153448-40x13.png 40w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2022\/04\/20153506\/Screenshot-2026-01-20-153448.png 1524w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\r\n<p><!-- \/wp:image --><\/p>\r\n<p><em>18+ New UK customers (Excluding NI) only. Min Deposit \u00a310. Min stake \u00a310. Min odds Evs. Free bet applied on 1st settlement of any qualifying bet. 30 days to qualify. Free bets expire in 7 days. Cashed out\/Free Bets won\u2019t apply. Account &amp; Payment method restrictions apply. 1 Free Bet offer per customer, household &amp; IP Address only. T&amp;Cs Apply<\/em><\/p>\r\n<hr \/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-central-midfield\">Central midfield<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Another problem going under the radar is to do with Casemiro. When the Brazilian gets taken off to manage his minutes, Man Utd implode.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s been abundantly clear on many occasions this season that Man Utd are a different team when Casemiro is not on the pitch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Carrick could elect to play Bruno Fernandes in the position as Amorim did. But then he\u2019ll be losing one of the best chance creators in the world closer to goal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Manuel Ugarte is wasteful in possession and has failed to make his mark since arriving at Old Trafford.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s something of a double-edges sword. While Man Utd squad lacked depth due to Amorim&#8217;s lack of reliance on players outside the his first-choice XI, when the others did start games they were rusty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Another potential central midfield option would be to push Lisandro Martinez forward. The Argentine looked impressve in his cameo there against Aston Villa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A suggestion could genuinely be to play Lisandro Martinez in the role who looked impressive in his cameo at central midfield against <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/stats\/clubs\/aston-villa\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Aston Villa<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Man Utd will want to return for Carlos Baleba, but there is not guarantee that he makes the move. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>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&#8217;s season.<\/p>\n\n\n<h3><strong>Read more:<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/bet\/football-tips\/premier-league\/\"><strong>Premier League predictions &amp; tips<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/outright-markets\/premier-league-title-odds\/\"><strong>Premier League outright odds <\/strong><\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/news\/\"><strong>Latest football news<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/bet\/betting-sites\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Best betting sites<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/bet\/betting-sites\/best-free-bet-offers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Best free bet offers<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/bet\/football-tips\/accumulator\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Football accumulator tips<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>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&#8217;s departure in 2021. Man Utd won two and drew one of those matches. As caretaker, Carrick brought&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3574,"featured_media":1336814,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_focuskw":"","_yoast_wpseo_title":"","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"As Michael Carrick takes charge of Manchester United on an interim basis, we assess the problems he faces","footnotes":""},"tags":[],"features-category":[],"squawka-category":[],"class_list":["post-1423911","features","type-features","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":{"external_featured_image_url":"","hide_featured_image_pattern":false},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.1 (Yoast SEO v27.1.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Can Michael Carrick guide Man Utd back to the Champions League? | Squawka | EN<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"As Michael Carrick takes charge of Manchester United on an interim basis, we assess the problems he faces\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/can-michael-carrick-guide-manchester-united-back-to-the-champions-league\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Can Michael Carrick guide Man Utd back to the Champions League?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"As Michael Carrick takes charge of Manchester United on an interim basis, we assess the problems he faces\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/can-michael-carrick-guide-manchester-united-back-to-the-champions-league\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Squawka | EN\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/SquawkaFootballNews\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-01-14T16:44:35+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2024\/01\/04125015\/1336809_1336809_2TDTDAN-scaled.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1756\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@squawka\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Estimated reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"NewsArticle\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/can-michael-carrick-guide-manchester-united-back-to-the-champions-league\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/can-michael-carrick-guide-manchester-united-back-to-the-champions-league\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Dharnish Iqbal\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/8c1fea89c7470cbb3b5a6a84a859c6ec\"},\"headline\":\"Can Michael Carrick guide Man Utd back to the Champions League?\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-01-13T21:03:40+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-01-14T16:44:35+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/can-michael-carrick-guide-manchester-united-back-to-the-champions-league\/\"},\"wordCount\":908,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/can-michael-carrick-guide-manchester-united-back-to-the-champions-league\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2024\/01\/04125015\/1336809_1336809_2TDTDAN-scaled.jpg\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"accessibilityFeature\":[\"tableOfContents\"]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/can-michael-carrick-guide-manchester-united-back-to-the-champions-league\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/can-michael-carrick-guide-manchester-united-back-to-the-champions-league\/\",\"name\":\"Can Michael Carrick guide Man Utd back to the Champions League? 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