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Manchester United have enjoyed a spectacular turnaround following the arrival of Michael Carrick as Ruben Amorim’s replacement at the Theater of Dreams. The Red Devils said goodbye to the Portuguese head coach at the beginning of this year after the 1-1 draw against Leeds United.
After Darren Fletcher’s two-match spell, Carrick took charge at Old Trafford as caretaker manager until the end of the season. The Englishman managed to put together a team that was reeling from Amorim’s stormy 14-month reign.
In his first match, he outwitted Pep Guardiola to inspire United to a 2-0 home win over Manchester City. Carrick followed that up with a spectacular 3-2 win over league leaders Arsenal in their backyard, allowing the Red Devils to climb to fourth in the Premier League.
Last weekend the Englishman made it three wins in as many games after taking three hard-fought points against Fulham at Old Trafford thanks to a 3-2 victory.
Optimism is running rampant at Old Trafford
Amorim’s departure marked the end of the disastrous 3-4-3 system that the Portuguese tried unsuccessfully to implement at Old Trafford. Fletcher immediately switched to a back four, but failed to win either of his two games in charge.
Carrick, meanwhile, retained the back four in his favored 4-2-3-1 system, allowing United to make full use of their attacking strength. The Red Devils have scored eight goals in the last three matches, with Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha, Patrick Dorgu and Benjamin Sesko running for the magnificent Bruno Fernandes operating in the number 10 role.
Player stats under Michael Carrick
| SL No. | Player Name | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bryan Mbeumo | 2 | 0 |
| 2 | Patrick Dorgu | 2 | 0 |
| 3 | Matheus Cunha | 2 | 1 |
| 4 | Benjamin Sesko | 1 | 0 |
| 5 | Bruno Fernandes | 0 | 4 |
| 6 | Casemiro | 1 | 1 |
| 7 | Kobbie Mainoo | 0 | 1 |
The Beautiful Portuguese has now registered twelve assists in the Premier League and is on course to win the Premier League Playmaker of the Year award for the first time since joining United.
The Red Devils captain remains indispensable to Carrick, but club legend Wayne Rooney believes there are four other players at the moment who are just as important to his compatriot’s cause.
Carrick’s indispensable quartet
Speaking The Wayne Rooney ShowUnited’s record goalscorer stressed that the backbone of Kobbie Mainoo, Casemiro, Harry Maguire and Lisandro Martinez has worked wonders for Carrick. He said:[They] It seemed like they had a plan and I think the same. I thought Amad was brilliant again today. I think he is the biggest threat to United today [Diogo] Dalot too. I think Dalot had a lot of grip, but I thought he was good today.”
“But I think the most important changes are for Man United [are] with Harry Maguire and Martinez and Casemiro and Kobbie Mainoo ahead of him. Of course we can talk about Bruno. He is Man United’s best player. But I think having, you know, that box of four has been crucial for Man United.”
“And the biggest compliment I can give him is that when I followed that I had the feeling that Man United were going to get the winner and again, Bruno with a bit of magic from him and a great finish from [Benjamin] Sesko.”
Final thoughts
Mainoo, Casemiro, Maguire and Martinez have started all three games under Carrick so far, with everyone bar the Brazilian playing the full 90 minutes in each. If all four remain injury-free for the rest of the season, United have a great chance of finishing in the top four this season.
Featured image Justin Setterfield via Getty Images
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