Manchester United have suffered a difficult week, losing to both Manchester City and Brighton
Michael Carrick after the Carabao Cup Third Round match between Manchester United and Brighton & Hove Albion at Old Trafford.
Michael Carrick has been sent a Man United warning. (Image: Ash Donelon, Manchester United via Getty Images)
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Michael Carrick has been told that he is putting his Manchester United job at risk due to his tactics so far this season. There has been talk over the manager's future following the disappointment of the 3-2 loss vs Brighton in the Carabao Cup.
United were looking to bounce back from defeat against 10-man Manchester City. They raced into a 2-0 lead, but were pegged back in the second half.
The full-time whistle was met with boos from some sections of the home crowd. The post-match analysis has concentrated on what is going wrong for Carrick at Old Trafford.
Ex-United striker Louis Saha has now criticised Carrick's tactical setup and pinpointed areas he believes require improvement. Speaking to Betano, he said: "The problem with Manchester United this season is not the players. Benjamin Sesko missed pre-season after his injury.
"Some players took their time to return after the World Cup. In truth I don't think it was a good summer transfer window for Manchester United. But Michael Carrick has to adapt.
"I don't see a team that has the animation it needs. Manchester United needs a system to play good football, with patterns of play. I think the way they are playing now is dangerous to Michael Carrick because this is not down to the players.
"Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo, even Bruno Fernandes need a team that is playing with more fluidity, and I don't think their teammates are doing that at the moment.
Youri Tielemans reacts after Maxim De Cuyper of Brighton & Hove Albion scores his team’s third goal during the Carabao Cup Third Round match between Manchester United and Brighton & Hove Albion at Old Trafford.
Manchester United suffered midweek defeat to Brighton in the Carabao Cup. (Image: Alex Livesey, Getty Images)
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"The two defensive midfielders look too comfortable passing the ball slowly, side-to-side. It does not provide the sort of passes forward to create those one-on-one moments.
"In transition they are too slow. It doesn't matter who you put in these situations, whether it's Sesko or Cunha or Mbeumo, if one of them isn't taking more risks and pressing forward, it's not going to help advance the play.
"United create some chances but they are not clear cut chances, and they aren't using the acceleration of Marcus Rashford to get behind teams, so they don't have that dimension either. It's all too slow.
Midfield was identified as a key area of improvement during the summer transfer window, with United splashing out a combined £155million to bring in Youri Tielemans, Andrey Santos and Carlos Baleba. Yet despite those arrivals, it is the departure of Casemiro - who left on a free transfer over the summer - that Saha believes has had the most significant impact on the side.
Casemiro during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Nottingham Forest at Old Trafford.
Casemiro left Man United in the summer. (Image: Molly Darlington, Getty Images)
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"How can Michael Carrick avoid falling short as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer did? What he must do now is support the team to animate the system, a way of playing, a certain motion and rhythm to what they do," he added.
"Some of this comes naturally from the players you have but everything else must come from the manager. Last season a lot of that came from Casemiro. They still have not replaced him.
"People said he had no legs left but look at what Manchester United have lost now. He was the animator of the team.
"He gave everyone a belief in what they were doing. He was ready to seize the moment and take a risk and you could feel it in how they played. That's why he is a great, great midfielder and has shown it over the years because he brought that balance.
"I think they can have that again with the players at the club but now it is Michael Carrick who must give this balance to the team as the manager. Maybe Carlos Baleba can offer this when he comes back from injury, which would also allow Bruno Fernandes to facilitate the strikers too.
""United need someone who excites the team, winning the ball, feeding the runners, lifting the crowd. United need something special there because they are missing a player who is dynamic and creative."