Split image of Manchester United manager Michael Carrick and a shadow, with the Manchester United badge in between - copyright TEAMtalk
Manchester United manager Michael Carrick
A long-serving Manchester United star from the Fergie years reckons Michael Carrick is sabotaging one of his best players with a wrong call he continues to make each and every week.
The bloom is off the rose for Carrick, with memories of the 45-year-old’s impressive caretaker spell now in the distant past.
Taking its place is Man Utd’s dire start to the season in which they’ve won just once in the Premier League so far.
United have also been dumped out of the League Cup after surrendering a two-goal lead to Brighton on home soil, and have failed to keep a clean sheet against English opposition.
TEAMtalk understands reports from less-than-reputable sources doing the rounds right now regarding Carrick’s position being under threat are wide of the mark.
Owners INEOS are steadfast in giving Carrick their full backing, though that’s not stopped former United stalwart, Nicky Butt, from taking a pop at the boss.
Speaking on The Good, The Bad and The Football podcast, Butt – who made 387 appearances for United and won six Premier League titles – panned Carrick’s insistence on playing Matheus Cunha up front.
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Michael Carrick ruining Matheus Cunha – Nicky Butt
As cited by the Daily Mail, Butt bemoaned: “Playing Cunha as a nine – it kills him, he’s not a nine. He’s nowhere near the player he is when he’s playing off the side.
“We haven’t got a number nine other than [Benjamin] Sesko. Zirkzee doesn’t look anywhere near a Man United number nine.
“How can Man United have one centre forward that they can rely on?”
Cunha has been deployed as the central striker in all five of Man Utd’s Premier League games this season. He’s scored once and provided two assists so far.
Sesko would be the obvious choice to start instead of Cunha, though the Slovenian has been used off the bench four times so far and missed out entirely against Fulham while battling a persistent shin issue.
Next in the pecking order would either be Joshua Zirkzee or Marcus Rashford, though of course, Rashford’s favoured position is the left wing.
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In truth, Zirkzee has shown very little throughout his Man Utd tenure to suggest he’s worthy of starts.
As such, it appears Carrick is stuck between a rock and a hard place until such time as Sesko is fully over his shin problem and able to lead the line from the off.
At that point, Cunha would rotate with Rashford off the left, Bruno Fernandes remains as the No 10, and Amad Diallo when he returns to full fitness battles Bryan Mbeumo for starts on the right.
TeamTalk