When Manchester United sacked Ruben Amorim, the Red Devils were sixth in the Premier League table, having won just two of their last six games. Hope was at a premium – the appointment of Michael Carrick did little to inspire the United fanbase at first glance.
Nevertheless, after a brief period with Darren Fletcher as interim head coach, Carrick picked up a sensational win over Manchester City in his first game in charge at the club – soon followed by an even more sensational win over league leaders Arsenal.
Despite this excellent start, they haven’t looked quite as impressive in their last few matches – notably, they were defeated by ten-man Newcastle United in their latest Premier League encounter.
Carrick is beginning to pick up some critics – including fellow United icon Paul Scholes. But are these criticisms valid? Let’s have a look.
Premier League top 4 if the season started after Carrick’s arrival
Played Won Drawn Lost GD Points
1. Man Utd 8 6 1 1 7 19
2. Arsenal 9 5 3 1 11 18
3. Chelsea 8 5 2 1 9 17
4. Man City 8 5 2 1 6 17
As you can see, no team in the Premier League has won more points than Manchester United since Carrick arrived at Old Trafford – this doesn’t always tell the whole story, however.
While United have recorded some highly impressive wins, they’ve also picked up a couple of lacklustre ones. They were able to pick up three points against Everton, Fulham and Crystal Palace, but none of their performances in these games were as convincing as one may have imagined.
For example, in the Fulham game, the Cottagers had more possession, rattled off more shots and had a higher xG than the Red Devils – it was only United’s superior finishing that won the day.
Furthermore, they also drew away at West Ham United, who have one of the worst home records in the Premier League this season. In that game, they were lucky to avoid defeat, as they were spared the embarassment thanks to a last-minute equaliser from Benjamin Sesko.
Does Michael Carrick have a long-term future at Man Utd?
While Carrick’s last few games haven’t been enormously impressive, this doesn’t mean he isn’t a viable long-term option for the Red Devils. After needless complexities that plagued the Ruben Amorim era, Carrick brought simplicity and stability to Old Trafford.
There isn’t anything enormously special about Carrick’s tactical approach. He merely likes to play direct, high-tempo football and is keen to make sure that his players are fielded in their most natural roles.
But will this be enough in the future? Teams are already beginning to find effective counters to Carrick’s style of play – it doesn’t work particularly well against teams that look to sit in.
United struggle to create chances off their own back – they’re much better when playing on the counterattack. This will work a treat against the bigger teams in the division, but it explains why they’ve had issues with some of the division’s lowlier outfits.
Ultimately, it will probably be up to Carrick as to whether he wishes to continue in the role. It can’t be denied that he has brought positivity back to United – it’s just a matter of whether he can sustain it on a long-term basis.