Michael Carrick has a big decision to make ahead of Manchester United's Premier League game against Crystal Palace on Sunday after six weeks of plain sailing in the dugout
Manchester United manager Michael Carrick (R) looks on next to assistant Steve Holland
Michael Carrick as a selection decision to make(Image: Chris Brunskill/Getty Images)
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Michael Carrick's first six weeks as Manchester United manager could hardly have gone any better - he's won five and drawn one of his six matches and is making a strong case for the permanent job in the summer.
Everything he's touched has turned to gold: scrapping Ruben Amorim's 3-4-2-1 formation, restoring Kobbie Mainoo to the starting XI and simplifying a previously confusing game plan. There have been stunning - and unexpected - wins over Manchester City and Arsenal - and now United appear favourites to finish fourth and return to the promised land of the Champions League.
The players are fully on-board. They have been wowed in training and have completely bought into what is being asked of them. The good vibes are back at Carrington and Old Trafford is a happy place to be once more.
It's all gone so swimmingly that, at least from the outside looking in, there have been no signs of friction. The reality is, of course, quite different. In an industry of highly-paid and highly-strung egos, it is nigh on impossible to keep everybody happy all the time.
Carrick has just about managed that over a short period of time, but heading into Sunday's Premier League game against Crystal Palace, he is faced with his first proper selection decision. The ex-midfielder has made just two changes to his starting XI in six games so far, and both were forced by injuries, with Patrick Dorgu replaced by Matheus Cunha after his hamstring blow against Arsenal and Leny Yoro stepping in for Lisandro Martinez for the win over Everton.
Potentially restoring Martinez to the team at Yoro's expense, despite a clean sheet at Hill Dickinson Stadium, isn't the only selection decision Carrick is pondering. Because Benjamin Sesko's case for a starting berth is startlingly obvious after he made yet another telling contribution off the bench.
The 22-year-old striker has now scored six goals in his last seven games and has been absolutely crucial to United's stunning form under Carrick, with winners against Fulham and Everton and a late equaliser at West Ham. Those three goals have been worth seven points and are the difference between United's current position of fourth and being back in sixth.
Manchester United head coach / manager Michael Carrick celebrates at full time with Benjamin Sesko of Manchester United
Benjamin Sesko's form has given Michael Carrick something to ponder(Image: Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images)
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Sesko's celebration after rounding off a sweeping counter-attack with a confident finish at Everton was angry. Many onlookers have read into it as a message to his manager. Carrick himself seems calm with the situation.
"I get why everyone’s talking about it and making a bigger deal of it," he said post-match when asked about Sesko pushing for a starting place. "But I’ve got a really good relationship with Ben. We’ve had some really good conversations and he’s in a really good place." He added: "So it’s one of those decisions that we got to try and get right.”
Carrick has been fielding Bryan Mbeumo as the central attacker, with Cunha on the left, Amad on the right and Bruno Fernandes as the No.10. Sesko has been used as an impact substitute and his pace to burn James Tarkowski and sweep home Mbeumo's pass on Merseyside showed why United shelled out £73.7million to sign him from RB Leipzig in the summer.
Benjamin Sesko of Manchester United celebrates
Benjamin Sesko has earned Manchester United seven points in recent weeks(Image: Chris Brunskill/Getty Images)
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