Michael Carrick faces the challenge of trying to lead Man Utd back into a European place.placeholder image
Michael Carrick faces the challenge of trying to lead Man Utd back into a European place. | Getty Images
Man Utd are expected to be in the market for talent this month after a mid-season managerial shake-up
Manchester United have gone back to their roots by appointing a former Sir Alex Ferguson favourite in Michael Carrick on a short-term deal which runs until the end of the season.
The Red Devils sacked Ruben Amorim after a disappointing 1-1 draw with Leeds United which left the team in seventh and three points behind the top four. Given where United have been in the last 12 months it hardly constituted a crisis based on the fact they finished 15th last term, but it appears somewhere along the line relationships between Amorim and the hierarchy simply broke down.
However, United haven’t really improved at the rate many people expected to under Amorim after a poor end to the Erik ten Hag era as well, leaving the club reverting back to the same method they tried when Jose Mourinho left - bringing in a fan favourite to steady the ship and get the crowd on side again.
BBC Sport reports that a 4-2-3-1 system is likely to be deployed by Carrick which is similar to what fans saw in a brief period under Darren Fletcher as Bruno Fernandes moved into the No.10 position, with Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo likely to play out wide moving forward.
Manchester United could look to bolster their midfield
The Red Devils are likely to play two central midfielders in each match with Casemiro, Manuel Ugarte and Kobbie Mainoo fighting for a spot.
However, United are short on cover if one of those gets injured and have shown under Ten Hag before Amorim arrived that they aren’t the best at controlling games even with a double pivot.
This could lead to Man Utd scouring the market for a midfielder, and one interesting name that could make an impact is Frenchman N’Golo Kante, who has recently expressed a desire to move back to Europe.
Kante could be a smart signing for Man Utd if they can pull of Fenerbahce hijack
According to L’Équipe, two-time Premier League winner N’Golo Kante is considering a move back to Europe after spending the last two and half years in the Middle East with Al-Ittihad.
The 34-year-old was for a long-time regarded as the best defensive midfielder on the planet both at Leicester City where he won the league title against all odds, and at Chelsea where he won the title again while also achieving Champions League glory.
Kante is blessed with incredible stamina, exceptional positional awareness and an ability to dominate the midfield battle. He had an injury-hit end to his time at Chelsea, but has proven in Saudi Arabia despite playing in a lower level of competition that he’s still an excellent operator with real hunger to succeed.
Opta shows he’s the second highest player in the league this season when it comes to winning possession back with 81 recoveries and he’s also in the top 10 players when it comes to interceptions. He still represents France regularly and is performing to a high standard while he also won both the Pro League and King’s League double last season with his team.
Reports from a number of outlets including Sky Sports Germany suggest Fenerbahce are the front-runners and the first team to make contact with the Frenchman, who will likely need a big pay cut to return to European football. However, depending on the player’s price tag and salary expectations, he could still prove a smart signing for United to help them secure European qualification in the short-term and potentially emerge as a top outfit once again.
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