Manchester United have appointed Michael Carrick as their new interim head coach for the remainder of the season, and the former midfielder has already shown his attacking philosophy
Michael Carrick has been announced as the new Manchester United interim head coach for the rest of the campaign, as the former midfielder arrives with a crystal-clear mission. United axed Ruben Amorim with the club hovering just beyond the Champions League spots.
His departure followed a day after his fiery rant following the Leeds clash earlier this month, where he demanded greater authority as a ‘manager’ rather than a ‘head coach.’ Carrick returns to Old Trafford with United still in contention for a top-five berth, and his entire attention will be devoted to the Premier League.
Sunday’s FA Cup elimination at Brighton and Hove Albion’s hands and the Carabao Cup loss to Grimsby Town means there are no distractions from domestic trophy competitions. The ex-Middlesbrough chief, who previously oversaw three matches in 2021 following Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s dismissal, has a track record of deploying a 4-2-3-1 formation – a setup that has been vocally demanded for use at United lately.
Throughout Amorim’s reign, the Portuguese remained faithful to his 3-4-3 approach, except for the 1-0 triumph against Newcastle United. Yet despite the success against Eddie Howe’s team, Amorim switched back to his three-defender formation for Wolves’ visit.
Reports suggest Jason Wilcox informed Amorim that he wasn’t of the same calibre as other managers before his dismissal. The choice to adopt a more cautious approach against Wolves, who possessed merely two points at that stage, is understood to have been poorly received.
Fortunately for United supporters, Carrick has already unveiled his attacking philosophy.
The 44-year-old is believed to have shaped his managerial approach around Sir Alex Ferguson’s methods, prioritising offensive, commanding football.
In his memoir ‘Between the Lines’, Carrick describes how he once challenged Louis van Gaal’s tactical decision to mirror Sheffield United’s approach during an FA Cup clash when they were in League One.
“I’m not showing any disrespect to Sheffield United when I say this but I cried out for us to play our own game,” Carrick penned.
One player set to flourish under Carrick’s stewardship is Kobbie Mainoo.
The academy product has only featured from the start once this campaign under Amorim, who insisted he was vying for position with Bruno Fernandes.
Previously, Carrick disclosed in a chat with Rio Ferdinand that Mainoo would be the cornerstone of his midfield setup.
“Yeah (would build around Mainoo). I think for a club to have a player that’s come through the academy and knows the club and feels it, I think Man Utd’s got to have an element of that,” he explained.
“They always have done and should always have that. To have a talent that he’s shown already, you’ve got to have player that you can say ‘right, they get it, they know it, let’s help him, let’s build him’. There’s definitely a place for him there for sure.”