Michael Carrick completed the trifecta of “Youth. Courage. Success” against Spurs by giving Tyler Fletcher his debut, and tainted Ruben Amorim’s biggest win of the season in the process.
Considering how poorly Ruben Amorim had performed at Man Utd, it wouldn’t have taken much to prove him wrong anyway.
Still, the way Michael Carrick has started off at Old Trafford has raised eyebrows, and his Tyler Fletcher decision showed again how easy it is to take the simple wins at times.
Tyler Fletcher has become Man Utd’s 258th academy graduate
How do you think he did in his brief appearance? What are your expectations for him?
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That brings to mind Amorim’s biggest win this season, where he, again, failed to get the spirit of the club.
Ruben Amorim points out instructions to his players during the Premier League match between Wolves and Manchester United at the Molineux in 2025 in Wolverhampton, England.
Photo by Crystal Pix/MB Media/Getty Images
Michael Carrick’s Tyler Fletcher decision vs Spurs
It was the 92nd minute against a Spurs side who had mentally given up, were down to ten men, and trailing by two goals.
In the grand scheme of things, Fletcher’s debut wasn’t earth-shattering, but it didn’t need to be.
He came on, circulated the ball calmly, got used to the ambience of Old Trafford, and walked off on his debut with a winning feeling he’ll never forget.
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By winning against Spurs with attacking football, he had already ticked “Courage” and “Success” part of the United motto.
By bringing on Fletcher near the end of the game, he completed the trifecta at the first chance he received, and therein lies Amorim’s biggest fault.
For details, we need to go back to Amorim’s biggest win this season in terms of margin of victory, all the way back on December 9, 2025.
Ruben Amorim’s Wolves win, and the Shea Lacey question
On December 9, 2025, United travelled to a Wolves side that was yet to win a league game at that point of the season.
Should Manchester United have sacked Ruben Amorim earlier this season?
Could we really have been title contenders?
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An early goal from Bruno Fernandes sent United on their way, before goals by Bryan Mbeumo and Mason Mount had them sitting pretty with a 3-1 lead at the hour-mark.
They would stretch it to 4-1 courtesy of a Fernandes penalty in the 82nd minute, all but ending the game as a contest.
Amorim had two subs left in the tank at that point, and Shea Lacey was itching for a debut, especially in preparation for the team being left without Amad and Bryan Mbeumo soon due to AFCON.
Instead, he refused to take the easy win, brought on Patrick Dorgu and Joshua Zirkzee in the 84th minute, and said after the game that he can’t choose Lacey over “established internationals”.
If no manager ever chose a youngster over an established international, then there would be no new internationals created because no young player would ever get a chance!
It got swept under the rug because of the sheer margin of victory, but it was another hint that Amorim doesn’t quite get what it means to be a Man Utd manager.
That nagging feeling would only get stronger with each game, switching Man Utd fans off from following the team altogether by the end of his time.
Easy wins he refused to take…
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