Michael Carrick is off to a superb start at Manchester United and has implemented one big change at the club since he took the reins
Michael Carrick, Caretaker Manager of Man United
There are five strict rules at United(Image: Photo by Molly Darlington/Getty Images)
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It's a new era for Manchester United, and after beating Manchester City in the derby last weekend, Michael Carrick's side face Premier League leaders Arsenal on Sunday afternoon.
United are fifth in the league table, and Carrick will be hoping he can guide the team into the top four this weekend. If Liverpool lose or draw and United win, the latter will leapfrog their rivals into fourth place. After that stunning performance against City and Liverpool's inconsistent form, that's a likely outcome.
Carrick, who is tasked with leading United until a permanent replacement is found, is at the centre of operations and has already made a big change at the club.
The former Middlesbrough manager has made training sessions shorter but more intense, in an effort to improve preparation for matches, according to the Daily Mail.
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The players have reportedly responded well to the changes and there is a renewed atmosphere at the club. Carrick's number two Steve Holland has joined along with Jonathan Woodgate and Jonny Evans as they attempt to rejuvenate the club's form, with players apparently impressed with the attention to detail shown by the coaches.
Head Coach Michael Carrick of Manchester United
Carrick is caretaker manager at United(Image: Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images)
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Predecessor Ruben Amorim banned three things during his time at the club: treating international breaks as holiday opportunities, food in the dressing room on matchdays, and coaches over-complicating instructions to players.
It remains unclear whether Carrick has retained these bans, and while Amorim had good intentions with them, ultimately his approach didn't work, and the team never adapted to his 3-4-3 system.
Former United boss Erik ten Hag also had his own strict set of rules while he was at the club. The Mirror revealed in 2022 that the Dutchman was ruthless with his approach to managing players.
The first was a heavy fine for players if they were found to have leaked dressing room information, a recurring problem for managers after Sir Alex Ferguson left.
Manchester United Head Coach/Manager Michael Carrick
Michael Carrick's second spell as United boss got off to a fantastic start(Image: Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images)
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Secondly, players would be dropped if they were late to training or team meetings, regardless of name or reputation, as Marcus Rashford once found out.
Alcohol was also banned by Ten Hag during match weeks to ensure peak physical condition. He was also said to want the same chefs preparing meals for United's players, instead of them employing their own personal catering staff.
Finally, Ten Hag overhauled the menu to include more fish and vegetables. Each player had a custom-made diet plan and had their Body Mass Index checked monthly to make sure they stayed in shape.
Ten Hag was sacked in October 2024 following a poor start to the season. He then spent time with Bayer Leverkusen but was sacked after only two league games.