If (when) Michael Carrick is sacked, the list of decisions he got wrong at Man Utd will be long, but his legacy decision will be the one he made with Mason Mount against Bournemouth.
In trying to send a message to Bruno Fernandes after his outburst against Como, Michael Carrick started Mason Mount, Youri Tielemans, and Amad in a fluid attack.
To nobody’s surprise, the only thing fluid about that attack was who would give the ball away each time, and Mount, in particular, was a non-factor.
He solidified Carrick’s legacy as Man Utd manager in the worst possible way, painting him as someone whose actions didn’t match his words.
Michael Carrick played Mason Mount ahead of Shea Lacey
Having fallen out with Fernandes and Matheus Cunha, and with Patrick Dorgu and Marcus Rashford injured, Carrick didn’t have any options for the wing, bar one.
That player, of course, was Shea Lacey, who has left no stone unturned in making a mark whenever he has received a first-team opportunity.
Carrick understands Man Utd, and he stressed as much in his monologue ahead of the Bournemouth game. A key tenet of the club is trusting the youth.
Here, he basically had no choice but to trust the youth, as the said youth was his only available winger, so of course Carrick plays him, right?
Of course not. Here’s Mason Mount starting on the wing as someone who lacks the pace and 1v1 ability to do anything of note out wide.
The easiest win of his tenure fell right into Carrick’s lap in what could be his final game as Man Utd manager, and he just kicked it away in disdain.
The worst thing about Carrick turning his back on Lacey in his final game is that he has fooled Man Utd fans due to his actions not matching his words.
Michael Carrick lost himself at Man Utd
Has Carrick been failed by the board? Absolutely yes. Has he looked out of his depth at this level? Also yes. But has he lost himself and gone against what made him great last season? Biggest yes.
Last season, Carrick gave a debut to Tyler Fletcher, platformed Shea Lacey, propped up Jim Thwaites, and attended academy games with regularity.
All of those traits have gone for a toss the moment a bad spell arrived, which shows that it was all performative at the time.
He has lost himself at this club, and in the process, fooled Man Utd fans who backed a different version of Michael Carrick for the permanent job.