Bruno Fernandes could leave Manchester United in the summerplaceholder image
Bruno Fernandes could leave Manchester United in the summer | Getty Images
Michael Carrick has reinvigorated Manchester United, starting with how he has ripped up everything Ruben Amorim created.
Ruben Amorim complained about pretty much everything during his tenure as Manchester United manager.
Instead of working with what he had, the former Red Devils boss felt that not having the right players to fit his system was the biggest problem and obstacle to him achieving success at Old Trafford.
It’s early days, but Michael Carrick has silenced almost every claim that Amorim made, purely by playing players in their strongest position and not trying to put square pegs into round holes throughout the starting XI. Had Amorim shown a bit of flexibility and not been as stubborn, he might still be in charge.
How Michael Carrick has embarrassed Ruben Amorim
The first thing that Carrick did was fix the defence. Going to a back four has seen Luke Shaw move into his best position. He is an international quality left-back, not a centre-half or wing-back.
He is an all-rounder, capable of defending the back post, of holding his own one-v-one and of contributing in the final third if he is needed to help out. With additional help all around him, he could well make a late charge for the England World Cup squad. It is a similar story on the right for Diogo Dalot who is no longer as exposed as he once was.
Another beneficiary of the managerial change has been Bruno Fernandes. No longer is he having to do everything; cover ever blade of grass, track runners into the box, take the ball off the defence, link the midfield and attack and score goals. He looked exhausted every week with the stress of trying to do it all on his own. Carrick’s change of formation and bravery in dropping summer signings Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko has freed Fernandes and allowed him to do what he does best – punish teams in the final third.
The biggest change, has been deeper in midfield. Kobbie Mainoo went from being England’s most promising player and someone who United could build a team around, to having to watch every game from the bench and struggling to even get a few minutes here and there.
To make matters worse, Amorim seemed intent in keeping the 20-year old in some sort of purgatory – refusing to play him, but also refusing to let him leave. Carrick though, has reinstated him and, surprise, surprise, United’s midfield looks more energetic, has fewer holes and Casemiro isn’t having to cover as much ground as his ageing legs have been forced to previously.
Carrick is a huge fan of Mainoo
Amorim used to criticise Mainoo for what he couldn’t do, whereas Carrick seems intent on praising the young midfielder for what he is capable of and what he brings to United, via the Manchester Evening News: "I think part of a career is a few ups and downs and sometimes it goes in different trajectories," he said. "But I think we've seen last week what Kobbie can bring. It was great.
"He's quite straight-faced and he doesn't give you an awful lot, but you could see the way he played and he expressed himself. He was enjoying himself and to see him like that was great. I've said it before, this club needs young players coming through and being the foundation for understanding what it means," he said. "Not just for the players or the squad, but for the club and for the supporters. I think it's something that we need to grasp and we need to keep building on.
"Kobbie's a prime example, to come through so quickly and have the rapid rise, and to play in some unbelievably big games and impact those big games at such a young age shows an awful lot of quality in terms of character and to be able to handle it."
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