Michael Carrick will sit in the Manchester United hot seat until at least the end of the season and he has already introduced some dramatic new culture changes
Michael Carrick pictured arriving at a game
Michael Carrick has already introduced some cultural changes at Manchester United(Image: Getty)
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Michael Carrick has already introduced some changes to the culture at Manchester United after taking over from Ruben Amorim in the interim. The English boss orchestrated a brilliant 2-0 win against Manchester City in his first game during this spell as boss.
Following a breakdown in communications, Amorim was given the boot at United after 14 months as head coach. Darren Fletcher took charge of two games this month before former player Carrick was named as manager for what is expected to be a brief stint before a new permanent boss is found in the summer.
Amorim enforced a series of 'bans' during his spell at the helm, including prohibiting players from using international breaks to take a holiday, outlawing food in the dressing room and forbidding his staff from giving players complex instructions.
Shorter training sessions
One aspect of the players' day-to-day that Carrick has altered is training sessions. The new boss has ensured that sessions are much shorter than they were under Amorim.
But these sessions are also much more intense than the ones that players took part in before. This idea has been brought in to stress the importance of performing at one's best at work each day.
Reports suggest that the energy in training is now a far cry from that under Amorim, with Carrick aided by two new assistant coaches in Steve Holland and Jonathan Woodgate.
Head Coach Michael Carrick of Manchester United in action during a first team training session at Carrington Training Ground
The new boss has altered training session length(Image: Getty)
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Later matchday starts
Another change that Carrick has brought with him concerns when his team arrives at matchdays. The Englishman has enforced a rule that his side turn up to games a tad later.
In the Premier League win against City, the team bus rocked up at Old Trafford roughly 15 minutes later than usual. Carrick also wants to place importance on his squad getting a good greeting.
This was an intentional change made by Carrick so that his players would not be hanging around in the stadium waiting for kick-off. He wants to limit the time spent at grounds before games.
Manchester United Head Coach / Manager Michael Carrick arrives prior to the Premier League match between Manchester United and Manchester City
United turned up earlier than usual before their clash with City(Image: Getty)
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Carrick seems to want to place an emphasis on keeping the mood around Carrington positive and one of the new rules introduced concerns players leaving the training ground.
The new head coach has encouraged his players not to rush home once training has commenced but to stick around for food and socialise with team-mates.
Carrick took the time to speak to those who seemed unsettled at the club, including Kobbie Mainoo, and outlined how he wants relationships to form, stressing that playing for United is the ultimate privilege.
Joshua Zirkzee of Manchester United arrives for pre-season training at Carrington Training Ground
Carrick wants his players to socialise(Image: Getty)
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Dressing room plea
Amorim opted to ban food in his dressing room, but Carrick is attempting to turn his into a place where players feel appreciated. He has introduced a new ethos that players are not to leave the dressing room until they feel they have been spoken to.
Harry Maguire has reportedly been singled out as someone who will lead this charge and be a vocal presence in the changing room. He started the win over City and played admirably at the back.
This approach differs significantly from that of Amorim, who reports suggest often sent players home from games without speaking to them. His ban on food suggests that he kept his dressing room in a very particular order.
Mason Mount, Kobbie Mainoo and Michael Carrick walk off after the Premier League match between Manchester United and Manchester City
The club's dressing room is set for change(Image: Getty)
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Immediate youth change
While Amorim did not necessarily have an eye for incorporating academy stars into his side, even exiling the likes of Alejandro Garnacho and unsettling Mainoo, Carrick is set to take a different approach.
The Portuguese boss did help players like Chido Obi and Harry Amass make their first-team debuts but compared to other coaches, he did not utilise Carrington's finest players as often.
Reports suggest that Carrick, on the other hand, will place a fundamental importance on giving young players a chance. He brought back youngsters such as Habeeb Ogunneye from loan and Joe Hugill to train with the first team immediately after being installed.