Michael Carrick: Should Man United hold or twist next season? – Man United news and transfer news | The People’s Person

1

Manchester United have been transformed by the arrival of Michael Carrick in the wake of INEOS’ explosive decision to end Ruben Amorim’s tumultuous tenure last month.

Five wins and one draw in their opening six games, which saw top-flight rivals Arsenal and Manchester City defeated, have lifted the Red Devils from Champions League hopefuls to the club with the safest grip on a return to Europe’s elite competition next season.

The dark cloud that engulfed Old Trafford at Christmas has lifted; the players look and sound happier, which is reflected in better performance on the field. The club’s plan for the summer window is now much easier to navigate as Amorim’s defunct 3-4-2-1 system has followed him through the exit door.

Less is more

The most significant change Carrick has made since taking charge is that he has deployed his new side in a more familiar 4-2-3-1 shape – one that is more in line with United’s attacking traditions.

The choice to reintegrate Kobbie Mainoo after the 20-year-old star was frozen by Amorim was an obvious one. Pairing him with Casemiro in a double twist in midfield, while Bruno Fernandes – the Premier League’s best No. 10 – was redeployed as… drumroll please… No. 10, was an even simpler decision.

Yet the club’s three best midfielders did not play in a trio of midfielders for 14 months under Amorim’s illogical reign of terror, as the former Sporting Clube de Portugal manager stubbornly tried to implement the system that had brought him so much success in the Portuguese capital, despite overwhelming evidence that it would not work in England.

Ruben Amorim management statistics at Man United

Carrick have also reintroduced flying wingers to provide width and attacking power in the opposition half; a position that Amorim preferred to be filled by full-backs. However, the role is incredibly complicated, as it requires the player tasked with playing wide in the 3-4-2-1 game to be a defender and attacker at the same time – both a hybrid and a specialist at the same time.

It is no wonder that Patrick Dorgu has been reborn as a left winger under Carrick’s tutelage after appearing lost in Amorim’s convoluted approach, despite the parts of the pitch the Dane operates in being virtually identical in both.

Similarly, Diogo Dalot’s form has skyrocketed since his compatriot’s departure. The 26-year-old is a right-back by trade, but was forced by Amorim to play as a full-back on both sides of the pitch. His performances suffered, making him something of a scapegoat for the fanbase. But in a twist that only the sanest minds could have predicted, the right-back has looked excellent as…right-back in Carrick’s first six games.

There was a simplicity to the improvements made by the 44-year-old England coach, whose only previous managerial experience was at Middlesbrough, which shows how needlessly complicated his predecessor’s ‘philosophy’ was.

However, the idea that top football is ‘simple’ is illogical; Rather, it takes an astute tactical mind to make changes that seem simple on paper but actually have tangible effects on the field.

Simply put, Carrick’s tenure as caretaker has been as impressive as it has been short. If he is no longer United coach next season, he will undoubtedly return to Old Trafford as manager of another Premier League team, with a host of clubs already identifying him as a possible target.

Long-term successor

Carrick’s appointment until the end of the campaign was intended to give INEOS time to conduct a thorough evaluation of the best candidate to succeed Amorim in the long term. The plan is to wait until the summer for this new coach to take over, as contracts expire once the season – and the World Cup – come to an end.

A large number of names have been associated with the United Hot Seat Thomas Tuchel the leader. The England manager was previously interviewed for the role in the summer of 2024 before United’s hierarchy decided to stick with Erik ten Hag, only to sack the 56-year-old less than five months later.

Italian coach Roberto De Zerbi, formerly of Brighton & Hove Albion and, only recently, of Olympique Marseille, also held talks with INEOS ahead of this crucial move to keep the sinking Dutchman.

Other targets include a mix of national team managers – Carlo Ancelotti, currently in charge of Brazil, USMNT manager Mauricio Pochettino and Germany boss Julian Nagelsmann – or Premier League options such as Andoni Iraola (Bournemouth), Marco Silva (Fulham) and Oliver Glasner (Crystal Palace). Paris Saint-Germain’s Luis Enrique was another wildcard option as the Spanish tactician is regarded as one of the best managers in the world and there were rumors of contract dissatisfaction at the Parc des Princes.

Slowly but surely, however, this extensive list is being whittled down one by one as each candidate excludes themselves from the job, either by choice or action.

Tuchel and Ancelotti have both extended their contracts with their respective countries, while Iraola looks set to do the same with Bournemouth, as does Enrique in the French capital. On the other hand, De Zerbi and Glasner’s explosive feuds with their clubs have drawn an uncomfortable parallel with Amorim’s departure, sending them down the rankings.

Of the choices that remain, Nagelsmann as a ‘hipster’ choice is the most exciting. But the 38-year-old has never done it outside Germany, and INEOS has been burned twice in England by coaches with no experience.

If the decision this summer comes down to appointing a manager like Silva because he is ‘Premier League proven’, or simply sticking with Carrick the Caretaker, is that really a choice? Why would you turn over such a safe pair of hands?

The former midfielder is quietly positioning himself as the top prospect on United’s list this summer, if only because the other names there have the chance to raise pitchforks among the fanbase.

However, this would only be the right step if the current arrangement is simply extended rather than changed. INEOS was right with their initial logic, and they should not deviate from that.

Conclusion – Carrick the Caretaker must continue

United’s best move this summer could simply be to extend Carrick’s interim role for another season. This could see football’s usual swings unfold over the next twelve months, potentially freeing up a candidate worth following.

An appointment of a coach with the pedigree of Tuchel or Ancelotti would have been excellent. But in the absence of options like this, Carrick the Caretaker would have to hold out for another day.

Featured image Carl Recine via Getty Images

The Peoples Person has been one of Man United’s most important news sites for over ten years. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social