Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich played out a thrilling 5-4 game in the Champions League, and it ended up vindicating Michael Carrick.
From the outside looking in, the Champions League semi-final between arguably the two best teams in the world doesn’t have much to do with Man Utd.
UCL anthem will be heard at Old Trafford next season in all likelihood, but in the meantime, it has vindicated Michael Carrick.
Most importantly, it should end one question around him that is just lazy, and looks misinformed now.
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Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP via Getty Images
PSG vs Bayern vindicates Michael Carrick
The neutrals loved PSG vs Bayern, as there was magical attacking quality on display from both sides, despite having brilliant defenders as well.
The reason behind such a game was that both Luis Enrique and Vincent Kompany believe in empowering their attacking players to weave their magic, albeit in a structured manner.
They drill them defensively, close the spaces between the lines, and make running your socks off non-negotiable, but there is plenty of freedom in the final third.
World-class players always come alive with that freedom, and that is exactly what happened in PSG vs Bayern.
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That is why it was so interesting to watch the game and not remember Carrick’s comments about his own tactical approach.
The Man Utd manager has repeatedly said this season that he provides a basic structure for his players to stay in, but what happens inside it is up to them.
It leads to precocious talents like Bruno Fernandes and Kobbie Mainoo to weave their magic and play the best football of their lives.
In an era of rigid and choreographed positional play, taking away all the individual quality of the players, it’s refreshing to see the two best teams in Europe take the opposite route.
Carrick is on the same route. It’s not because of a lack of tactical nous, but because freedom given to world-class players in a structure will always give you a chance to win games.
Carrick’s ceiling is much higher than believed
The role of a manager is important, but a manager is only as good as the players he manages, barring a genius like Sir Alex Ferguson, who worked miracles at times.
The reality of Carrick’s system is that it will look even better with better players, because he will still be able to drill them defensively, but the magic within that structure will get better.
That is where recruitment comes in, which is an area Ineos are succeeding at since arriving.
A competent midfielder or two will add loads of quality to the team, and Carrick will look even better.
The questions around Carrick’s ceiling should end after seeing Vincent Kompany’s Bayern. He could easily be a PL-winning manager with a great squad, because he knows how to get the best out of great players.
His system doesn’t stand in the way of greatness due to some mistaken tactical superiority in his brain. It empowers them to unleash their best.
The better the players, the better it will look.
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