Michael Carrick stunned the footballing world by dismantling Pep Guardiola’s Man City in the derby, and Ruben Amorim’s prediction came true in the process.
In the larger picture, Man Utd’s 2-0 win against Man City was as bad as it could have gone from a narrative perspective for Ruben Amorim.
United flourished in a back-four; Kobbie Mainoo was back to his best, Bruno Fernandes tore City to shreds while playing as a striker, and Patrick Dorgu was a player reborn as a winger.
Bruno Fernandes cut City apart – now he needs to do it against Arsenal next weekend!
He was extremely unlucky to have a goal ruled out of his own
Fernandes
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However, it’s interesting to note that Amorim predicted before his sacking what Carrick managed to do vs Man City. Could he have done the same? That’s another question.
Manchester United assistant coach Steve Holland and Manchester United interim head coach Michael Carrick speak during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Manchester City at Old Trafford in Manchester, England, in 2026.
Photo by Darren Staples / AFP via Getty Images
Ruben Amorim was convinced of Man Utd’s ceiling
When Amorim was struggling to get results against teams lower in the table, a familiar script played out in his post-game interviews.
He bemoaned the wastefulness of his players and said he’s not making excuses, but they are missing most of their key players.
To be fair to him, missing Fernandes, Amad, and Bryan Mbeumo at the same time would hurt any manager, so his point had merit.
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So convinced was he of United’s ceiling that he promised Man Utd fans that the team would be so much better once he got the players back.
He said that he had “no doubt in my mind” that this team would find success as soon as they return, and it’s not a coincidence that Carrick had United flying as soon as Amad and Mbeumo joined Fernandes.
The potential of this team, at full strength, excited Amorim, and the team’s win against City vindicated his stance in some aspects.
However, there is a flipside to Carrick carrying out his prediction.
Ruben Amorim struggled to do what Michael Carrick did
There needs to be some perspective because it has only been just one game for Carrick, but the contrast from Amorim couldn’t be clearer.
Michael Carrick is off to the PERFECT START at Man Utd, and he wants more!
Why do you think it went SO RIGHT for Carrick against City?
Carrick graphic
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For starters, Amorim might have been convinced of the team’s ceiling, but he didn’t do much to reach it when he had everyone available.
In fact, United’s worst loss of the season – against ten-man Everton at home – was when Amorim had every attacker available.
Add that loss to poor performances against the likes of Fulham, Nottingham Forest, and Tottenham, just to name a few, and it becomes difficult to argue for Amorim’s case.
Having your elite attackers available certainly makes a difference, but Amorim had lost the trust that he was using them in the best way possible.
The road is long for Carrick, but he has started off by just putting players in their best positions, which is maddeningly simple but something his predecessor, for all his predictions, refused to do.
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