Ruben Amorim was heavily criticised for his tactical setup at Manchester United and decisions to play players out of position.
It has now been over two months since Ruben Amorim was sacked at Manchester United, and the success of Michael Carrick means he has been quickly forgotten about at Old Trafford.
Carrick has exposed several Amorim mistakes. Since coming in as interim head coach, Carrick and his staff have had big success by simplifying the football and playing players in their natural positions.
In the latest 3-1 win over Aston Villa, Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro were excellent once again in a midfield that has been strengthened by Carrick’s tactical setup.
Michael Carrick and Casemiro celebrate as Manchester United beat Aston Villa.
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Ruben Amorim left Casemiro ‘exposed’ at Man United
Speaking on the latest episode of The Rest Is Football podcast, pundits Gary Lineker and Micah Richards agreed that Amorim did not get the best out of Casemiro because of his positional demands.
“He was sort of hung out to dry a little bit,” Richards argued, to which Lineker replied: “Correct. I absolutely agree.
Richards continued: “If you have someone who, physically, he’s got it. He can read the game, he’s aggressive, and he’s not a bad passer when need be.
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“But if you’re leaving him exposed in the middle of the pitch where you have got runners either side of you, it was always going to be difficult.
“So I have to give a shoutout to Casemiro because I thought he was outstanding. Again!”
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Michael Carrick deserves credit for maximising player potential
Carrick’s style of play was questioned when he returned to Old Trafford because of his inexperience as a head coach, but he deserves huge praise for his impact at the club.
On paper, Carrick has simplified a lot around Carrington, including shorter training sessions and a return to a familiar 4-2-3-1 formation.
But in training, Carrick and his staff have also put more focus on individual player training, and it seems to be having a big impact in games. Amorim often pointed out that players were still learning his system and were sometimes lost or confused about their roles in games. Under Carrick, United have been much more organised and players understand their assignments.
READ MORE: Michael Carrick says Man Utd aced a tricky ‘test’ vs Villa which always tripped up Ruben Amorim
With seven wins in his nine games in charge, it is clearly an approach which is working, and also getting the best out of United’s best players.
Fernandes is thriving playing further forward in midfield, and the return of Kobbie Mainoo alongside Casemiro has suddenly given United much more structure in the heart of the pitch.
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