When former club legend Michael Carrick succeeded Ruben Amorim following a 1-1 draw at Leeds United, United sat relatively comfortably in the Premier League table at sixth place, already nine spots ahead of last season’s 15th-place finish.
Manchester’s executive leadership board, consisting of key names like Omar Berrada, Jason Wilcox, and Sir Jim Ratcliffe, faced some backlash for sacking Ruben Amorim in the manner that they did. Ratcliffe did not follow through with the promise of giving Amorim at least three seasons. Once Wilcox and Berrada saw Amorim defend himself and criticize the United board in the postgame press conference after the draw with Leeds, they knew they had to protect their own jobs.
But fast-forward to today, and quite a bit has changed. The United fans who were sad to see Amorim go no longer have a reason to be upset. Fans who wanted him gone but were still upset with the board probably don’t spend much time thinking about the owners anymore.
Why? Well, what Michael Carrick has done for United since January is nothing short of spectacular, and it certainly wasn’t expected. When he was appointed to be United’s six-month interim manager, a “new manager bounce” might’ve been foreseeable, but nobody thought the former Middlesbrough manager would go on and dominate Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City for his first game in charge.
Nobody thought he’d walk into the Emirates and take down the title favorites for his second game in charge.
Nobody thought he’d have 10 wins under his belt and only three draws and two losses with a couple of games to go. A third-place finish in the table felt like an impossible long shot to most United fans.
As a former Manchester United legend, having played for the likes of Sir Alex Ferguson and Jose Mourinho, Carrick knew where to start once he arrived at Carrington. He started from scratch, taught the basics of the game and brought the dressing room together. He knew how to lead and changed the mood around the club, which helped United climb the table rapidly.
But now that Manchester United are back where they belong, in a Champions League spot, expectations are climbing higher. Under Amorim, minor bumps in the road may have been ignored, with much bigger fish to fry. But Carrick’s results have forced fans to raise their standards and criticize the squad’s performances even in games where United takes all three points. As the season carried on, fans wondered why United were capable of dominating the likes of Man City and Arsenal but incapable of getting a single point versus Leeds United at Old Trafford.
The answer? Carrick repeatedly failed to tactically adapt against opponents in a low block. As he plans for next season over the summer, Carrick must set a higher bar for himself and add an element of tactical intelligence to his leadership role at Manchester United.
Those “bumps in the road” became apparent starting in late March, with United drawing to Bournemouth 2-2 for the second time this season. Not only did United miss out on all three points, but they also scored both goals through a penalty and an own goal. Bournemouth saw more of the ball and had more shots on target. On top of that, Harry Maguire’s late red card saw him banned for three games.
They had 24 days to rest before hosting Leeds at Old Trafford. It didn’t make much of a difference, as Leeds jumped out to a 2-0 early lead to stay out of the relegation zone. The only goal United could produce came from a Casemiro header. And another silly red card, this time from Lisandro Martinez, saw United down yet another defender.
Traveling to Stamford Bridge on April 18 gave the Red Devils an opportunity to rebuild their confidence and steal three points from a Chelsea team that had not scored a Premier League goal in four consecutive games. Carrick pulled out a 1-0 win thanks to one moment of magic from Bruno Fernandes. But yet again – it wasn’t pretty. Chelsea saw more of the ball and had triple the number of shots.
Against Brentford, possession and shots stayed relatively equal, but United’s quality ultimately prevailed. Carrying over momentum from the Brentford win, United’s performance against Liverpool was a reminder that Carrick’s ideal counterattacking system works best against big clubs that love to possess. For context, United saw 32% of the ball in the win over City and 43% in the win over Arsenal. United saw 37% of the ball against Liverpool, but attempted 18 shots while Liverpool only attempted 13.
Throughout the season, this United squad has turned up against the big six and struggled against bottom-half clubs. But the cause isn’t certain. Amorim struggled against the low block, but his squad also lacked the energy and effort required to put away teams fighting for their spot in the Premier League. But even in a new formation with a revamped roster, low blocks still pose just as much of a problem in Carrick’s system. Among the teams that gave United the most trouble this season were Everton, Leeds and Bournemouth.
With a third-place finish and wins over the entire Big Six, fans can’t blame the board for appointing Carrick permanently. But United’s recent struggles against teams they should be beating have raised concern. For Carrick to prove to United fans that the board made the right decision, United must produce a quality performance in the counterattack system against either Nottingham Forest or Brighton’s low block. If the quality doesn’t show, United fans may begin to believe that Carrick’s counterattack system isn’t sustainable.
Nottingham Forest, who just took down Sunderland 5-0, will be starving for points to keep them out of the relegation zone. Brighton will be fighting for a spot in European football, and already knocked United out of the FA cup during Darren Fletcher’s two-game tenure.
With little at stake, Carrick has a unique opportunity to help his right wingers—Bryan Mbeumo and Amad Diallo—gain confidence and hit a stride of good form. The two were among United’s most effective players earlier this season, but both fell into “slumps” after Amorim’s departure and haven’t been able to climb out of them since.
With Manchester United having qualified for the Champions League, they won’t have as many resources to choose from next season. Not everybody will be fit for every game, and Carrick will have to rotate the squad weekly. With that being said, Carrick will need quality both in the starting XI and on the bench. If Carrick can help Mbeumo and Amad turn the corner before the end of the season and snag six points from wins over Nottingham Forest and Brighton, United fans will be optimistic that the board made the right decision.
At this point in time, coming off an underwhelming 0-0 draw at Sunderland, it may be tough for a manager in Carrick’s position to keep everyone levelheaded. With the season already decided and not much left to play for, Carrick must help his squad maintain high morale and encourage locker room togetherness to jumpstart the offseason with a boost of positivity.
