Michael Carrick has changed the mood around at Man Utd after just one game, and most importantly, shed a worrying comparison to Ruben Amorim.
Ruben Amorim fell on his sword at Man Utd by sticking to his system until his last press conference, refusing to bow down to anyone.
He might argue there’s glory in that stance, but glory for successful people lies in silverware and special moments.
Michael Carrick is off to the PERFECT START at Man Utd, and he wants more!
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Worryingly, Michael Carrick also showed a trait similar to Amorim before he even managed a game, but after his Bryan Mbeumo decision, he put those worries to rest emphatically.
Benjamin Sesko reads instructions from a tablet as Ruben Amorim looks on during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Burnley at Old Trafford in 2025 in Manchester, England.
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Michael Carrick’s Bryan Mbeumo decision vs Man City
You have a player who has scored three goals in his last two games to kick off his first rich vein of goalscoring form at Old Trafford in Benjamin Sesko.
On the other hand, you have Bryan Mbeumo, who returned from AFCON deflated, and would be playing in a new position against City’s physical centre-backs.
Considering Carrick’s style of play, where he prefers to field a natural striker, choosing Sesko over Mbeumo was a no-brainer decision.
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However, Carrick recognised that he needed movement, quick interplay, and vertical passing on the ground to break through City’s defence.
So, he picked Mbeumo over Sesko and surrounded him with two relentless runners out wide, adding Bruno Fernandes’ passing range behind him.
The result was a game straight out of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s wins over City, where the likes of Martial, Rashford, and Greenwood would feast on Paul Pogba’s passes to sucker punch City on transitions.
And with that single decision, he put a worrying comparison to Amorim to rest.
Carrick puts Ruben Amorim comparison to rest
Anyone who has watched Carrick’s Middlesbrough knows how wedded he is to playing out from the back, dominating possession, and probing gameplay.
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The worry was his previous quotes at ‘Boro, where he echoed Amorim’s thoughts, saying he would not change his principles.
Against City, however, he knew that playing with a fluid and rapid front four gave the team the best chance at a victory.
He immediately switched to transition mode, and the result was a systematic dismantling of City the likes of which Guardiola rarely experiences.
In contrast, the sole time Amorim was adaptable was when he made a similar decision to drop Sesko at Anfield, but then he could never go back.
The team would continue to play long and rely on second balls regardless of who started up front, resulting in Sesko being reduced to a target man with no service.
The real test for Carrick will come against a team that cedes possession, forcing him to dominate the game and break down a low block.
For now, he has passed his first adaptability test with flying colours.
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