Manchester United fans are celebrating a memorable Manchester Derby win over the blue side.
As if by magic, Michael Carrick instantly transformed Manchester United into a team resembling the way the club used to play in the Sir Alex Ferguson era.
United rolled back the clock to put together a performance full of attacking intent, aggression, and quality, beating City 2-0 at Old Trafford.
There are bigger challenges ahead, but it’s clear that Carrick and his staff have tapped into a formula that could be successful in the weeks ahead.
Carrick is United’s head coach until the end of the season, following Ruben Amorim’s sudden sacking at the start of the month.
Darren Fletcher coached the team for the previous two matches, and while he failed to record a victory in either, two decisions he made may have helped Michael Carrick out.
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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Resting Casemiro and Luke Shaw
Darren Fletcher ‘took one for the team’ when selecting Manchester United’s team to face Brighton in the FA Cup the previous weekend.
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Luke Shaw was rested for the first time in months, left out of the squad entirely for the fixture as part of an effort to manage his game time.
Shaw returned to United’s starting line-up for the clash with City and produced a strong, high-effort performance that saw him demonstrate why he is England’s best left-back.
Luke Shaw playing for Manchester United
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Casemiro was also left out against Brighton. It was a rare decision to rotate the Brazilian, who has been a regular starter in 2025/26.
He did come off the bench late in the Cup defeat, but he exerted far less energy than had he started the game.
Casemiro played 81 minutes against City, and like Luke Shaw, he produced one of his best performances of the season.
Was this because they were rested a week earlier? That’s hard to tell, but we can say that the rest certainly did not hurt them. Fletcher’s pain was Carrick’s gain.
Was that Patrick Dorgu’s best game in a Manchester United shirt?
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Accidentally proving that United need to use width
Darren Fletcher did not have the luxury of being able to call on Amad against Brighton, while resting Luke Shaw led to him using Patrick Dorgu at left-back.
This meant that Fletcher selected Mason Mount and Matheus Cunha on the wing, and it did not work, with both players struggling to get involved in the game.
The duo’s poor showing reinforced that this was not a viable option against City, and United needed to go with a different approach.
Carrick utilised Dorgu and Amad out wide to terrific effect, with both players helping to tear City apart.
Their movement and work rate caused constant problems for City’s defence, and this must be Manchester United’s model for the rest of the season.
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