One Manchester United star has lifted the lid on playing under interim manager Michael Carrick
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 23: Diogo Dalot of Manchester United makes a point to manager Michael Carrick during the Premier League match between Everton and Manchester United at Hill Dickinson Stadium on February 23, 2026 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images)
Diogo Dalot has opened up on playing under Michael Carrick (Image: 2026 Chris Brunskill/Fantasista)
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Manchester United defender Diogo Dalot has suggested that playing under interim manager Michael Carrick isn't vastly different from his experience under Ruben Amorim. The Portuguese manager was dismissed in January following a poor spell at United.
Carrick has since stabilised the team, securing seven victories, two draws and suffering only one defeat in his ten games at the helm. A key factor in United's dramatic resurgence has been attributed to Carrick's decision to revert to a back four, as opposed to Amorim's problematic 3-4-3 formation.
Rather than deploying three centre-backs, United now defend with two central defenders and their full-backs forming a solid back four. This can shift to a back five when a winger drops deeper to mark the opposition's wide player. However, Dalot believes the changes are subtle.
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"If you analyse it closely, things are not that different from what we were doing with Ruben," he told DAZN Portugal. "If you look at the pieces of the game individually, you don't see that many differences. The biggest difference is the profile of the player. Now we play with one less defender and one more attacking player.
"As I say many times, at the end of the day what really matters is the result. When confidence is high, with the quality of players we have, sometimes you don't even need to say much and players go on the pitch and perform well."
The 27-year-old also discussed how his role within the team has evolved, being deployed in a more attacking position on the flank. He feels this has provided him with a clearer insight into what lies ahead under Carrick's management.
"When you play as a winger and receive the ball, you have options to go one-against-one, attack the line, play backwards or find the number ten," he said. However, he acknowledged that the full-back role is where he feels most at home.
"It feels like going back to my origins," he said. "When I get those opportunities, I try to make the most of them because I know they will make me even more versatile."
The former Porto player is now in his fifth campaign at Old Trafford and has become one of the squad's most experienced figures. "I enjoy having that responsibility," he said.
Manchester United's Portuguese head coach Ruben Amorim (R) speaks with Manchester United's Portuguese defender #02 Diogo Dalot (L) during the English Premier League football match between Manchester United and Bournemouth at Old Trafford in Manchester, north west England, on December 15, 2025.
Dalot says playing under Amorim and Carrick isn't all that different (Image: PETER POWELL / AFP via Getty Images)
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"What I try to do every day is represent the values of the club as best as I can. The behaviours and attitudes I show daily are very important to me because I know I can set an example.
"I still consider myself young. But the reality is that I joined the club so early that it now brings more responsibility. New players arrive all the time and I try to help them feel comfortable. At the same time, they need to understand the reality of the club.
"Obviously when you start playing football you only think about the passion for the game. You don't think much about what comes next. At an early stage I would never have imagined playing for FC Porto, let alone becoming the second longest-serving player at Manchester United."