Carrick's Difficult Challenge at Manchester United That Amorim Never Encountered

Since taking over as interim manager of Manchester United until the end of the season, Michael Carrick has somewhat helped the team improve results, but there remain more complex issues that the English coach must address.

Alongside positive signs, Michael Carrick still faces a persistent problem that his predecessor Ruben Amorim almost never encountered at Old Trafford. If a simple plan to help Manchester United return to the UEFA Champions League is needed, Carrick likely only needs to implement two seemingly obvious steps. First is to bring young talent Kobbie Mainoo back into the starting lineup. Second is to use Bruno Fernandes correctly in his preferred number 10 position.

That is something many Manchester United observers have long recognized. However, during his tenure, Amorim insisted on deploying Fernandes in the central midfield pair. Although the Portuguese player is skilled enough to fulfill duties in that role, he clearly becomes much more dangerous when pushed forward closer to the opponent's goal.

During the period when Fernandes played deeper alongside Casemiro, young talent Mainoo, whom Amorim once called the future of Manchester United, often had to sit on the bench. But ten weeks after Amorim left the coaching seat, the situation changed significantly. Mainoo returned to the starting lineup while Fernandes was restored to his creative role higher up. The result was such a surge in the Portuguese captain's performance that he is mentioned as one of the best players in the Premier League. Simultaneously, Mainoo's chance to participate in the FIFA World Cup 2026 revived.

Carrick's contributions in stabilizing Manchester United cannot be denied. Although the team's recent performance hasn't fully reached the desired level, the revival largely stems from the simple decision of placing the best players in their proper positions.

Nevertheless, the current squad of the "Red Devils" still contains some pieces that aren't entirely fitting. While leading the team, Amorim wanted to build a squad suited to his tactical system of 3-4-2-1. Therefore Manchester United spent up to £133.5 million to acquire two players capable of playing the number 10 role: Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo.

The issue lies in Manchester United already possessing many players who handle creative roles, including Fernandes, Amad Diallo, and Mason Mount. After Amorim departed and the old tactical system was discarded, Amad and Mbeumo adapted quite well when moved to wider positions. But Cunha hasn't found a suitable place.

The Brazilian international occasionally produces impressive technical moments, yet he appears uncomfortable when deployed on the left flank. Cunha often drifts into central areas and struggles operating in tight spaces. The draw at West Ham's ground clearly demonstrated this, as too many Manchester United players moved centrally, causing attacks to stagnate due to lack of width.

Cunha clearly performs best when playing as a genuine number 10. However, for that to happen, Carrick would have to sacrifice one of two nearly unacceptable options. Either he must remove Fernandes from the lineup, or drop the Portuguese midfielder deeper and push Mainoo back to the bench.

Carrick has shown he is willing to leave expensive signings out, exemplified by keeping Benjamin Sesko waiting for opportunities despite the striker's impressive scoring form. Perhaps Cunha could fall into a similar situation. However, given the Brazilian player's notable attacking ability, Carrick certainly still needs to find a solution to maximize his potential if Manchester United wants to maintain its revival momentum in the remainder of the season.