Sky Sports pundit Micah Richards has called out Ruben Amorim over his mishandling of Bryan Mbeumo and another key Manchester United ace under Michael Carrick.
Bryan Mbeumo was a major summer signing that arrived in 2025 under Ruben Amorim’s reign at Old Trafford ahead of the 2025-26 Premier League campaign.
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Manchester United paid an initial fee of £65m to sign Mbeumo from Brentford last July and the 26-year-old French-born attacker has been a standout performer.
Mbeumo was used in the right-sided No 10 role of Amorim’s polarising tactical system for Man Utd, while Matheus Cunha would be deployed in the left-sided role.
However, Michael Carrick has massively pivoted from the approach of former United manager Amorim and deployed Mbeumo as the lone forward in his tactical set-up.
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Bryan Mbeumo during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium in 2026 in London, England.
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Micah Richards singles out Bryan Mbeumo and Amad Diallo to show what Michael Carrick is doing right compared with Ruben Amorim
Bryan Mbeumo has impressed in Michael Carrick’s first two matches as Manchester United interim head coach, with the former Brentford ace netting in both clashes.
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The Cameroon international has linked up superbly well with Bruno Fernandes, who has now been advanced forward into the No 10 role in Carrick’s Man Utd formation.
Patrick Dorgu has been deployed on the left side of Bruno Fernandes and on the right side is Amad Diallo, who had been playing at wing-back under Ruben Amorim.
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Micah Richards was left scratching his head at why ex-Man Utd head coach Amorim was limiting the effectiveness of both Mbeumo and Amad Diallo on the pitch.
“The players are playing out of position [under Amorim], playing at two No 10s, Diallo in a No 10, like Mbeumo in a No 10,” he said on The Rest Is Football podcast.
“Why? They did the most damage from [the] wide position.”
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Micah Richards talks up what he has seen from Bryan Mbeumo in the Man Utd striker role under Michael Carrick
Mbeumo netted the opener in Man Utd’s 2-0 win over Manchester City at Old Trafford before finding the back of the net again against Arsenal at the Emirates this time.
Speaking after Man Utd’s 3-2 win over Arsenal on Sunday evening, Richards added that the Cameroon winger now has more “freedom” in his role under Carrick’s tactics.
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“I know Mbeumo’s playing up front now, but he’s got the freedom to go where he wants,” he continued.
“But Man United, lads, have been absolutely outstanding. On the ball and off the ball, the rotations.”
Man Utd ace Mbeumo has scored nine times and picked up a single assist in 19 matches across all competitions in his debut season at the Premier League club.
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