Michael Carrick has taken every chance to convince Man Utd’s higher-ups of his credentials, but Lisandro Martinez’s injury return cements his biggest missed opportunity this season.
There is no doubt that Man Utd and Michael Carrick have sorely missed Lisandro Martinez’s progressive passing and leadership.
Leny Yoro has filled in capably with the odd mistake, but Martinez’s return, potentially for the Bournemouth game, will be a huge boost.
Unfortunately, that boost will also cement a missed opportunity under Carrick in Martinez’s absence.
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Michael Carrick should have used Ayden Heaven
On paper, Martinez’s skill set is perfectly mirrored by Ayden Heaven, with the added advantage of having verticality on his side.
They are both left-footed, like to bring the ball out from the defence with raking passes or carrying it, and are willing to throw themselves into duels.
In a side that was already struggling with a lack of left-footers, Heaven’s introduction into the team was a no-brainer move.
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Except for Carrick, that is.
Carrick didn’t just ignore Heaven, he even played Tyrell Malacia ahead of him during the Newcastle game, which counts as the nadir of his in-game management so far.
Heaven has proven that he is capable of rising to the occasion and living up to expectations, and he’s definitely got a far brighter future at Old Trafford than Malacia!
For Carrick not to unleash Heaven when the chance arrived due to Martinez’s injury will count as a blot on his near-flawless record so far at the club.
Lisandro Martinez’s injury needed long-term planning
The case for Heaven to be used as a tactically capable backup to Martinez is strong in itself, but it also made sense from a squad planning perspective.
Carrick has repeatedly said that regardless of the length of his tenure at the club, he will always think about United’s long-term prospects.
To say that and then deploy Tyrell Malacia instead of Ayden Heaven is just a case of actions not matching the words.
The long-term view is that Martinez is just too injury-prone to be regarded as an undisputed starter, so Heaven should slowly be groomed for that role.
Even when Martinez is fit, Heaven should be given 30 mins or so off the bench as per the game state, which will help the Argentine manage his minutes, and get Heaven up to speed.
Carrick mismanaged this particular situation completely when a chance arrived for him to show his trust in one of United’s most exciting youngsters.
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