Expert reveals what Man Utd will look like under Carrick – ‘dazzling’ football, ‘no plan B’

The EFL editor at Sky Sports has outlined the positives and negatives Michael Carrick will bring to Manchester United and how that will translate to how they play on the pitch.

Carrick has been selected as the man Manchester United believe should lead them until the end of the season. Interim boss Darren Fletcher had been offered a role in Carrick’s set-up, but has instead opted to return to his former position as head coach of the club’s Under-18s.

TEAMtalk understands Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was the favourite to take the reins until the summer, but was usurped by Carrick who impressed in his interview.

Insider Graeme Bailey explained: “Michael impressed hugely during his talks. He learned so much during his spell at Middlesbrough and feels he has a lot to offer.

“Ole came into the weekend as the preferred candidate; that was pretty clear, but now the club’s footballing department firmly believes that Carrick could offer something different and beneficial to the club.”

To date, Carrick’s only senior job in management – aside from a brief stint as Man Utd’s caretaker manager in 2021 – was his three-year spell with Middlesbrough .

His final record read 136 games, 63 wins, 24 draws and 49 losses for a win ratio of 46.32 percent. Boro qualified for the play-offs in the Championship in his first season in charge, though narrowly missed out in the two subsequent years.

Carrick always favoured a back four during his stint on Teesside, and generally lined his side up in a 4-2-3-1 formation. As such, and just as it was under Fletcher, Ruben Amorim’s back five will be dispensed with.

Now, Sky Sports’ EFL editor, Simeon Gholam, has summarised Carrick’s impressive yet flawed stint at Boro and offered insight into how Man Utd will look under their new interim manager.

“At first it was glorious for Michael Carrick and Middlesbrough ,” began Gholam .

“Taking over in October 2022, with the club hovering just above the relegation zone, some scintillating, attacking football saw them career into the play-off places by the end of the season, where they eventually fell short in the semi-finals against Coventry.

“Sadly, from then on, as key players moved on, he was unable to really replicate that early success. The football was still good, but the cutting edge was often lacking. Middlesbrough became known for dominating games and creating chance after chance, before eventually conspiring to drop points after falling foul to a counter-attack or a defensive error.

“The goal was play-offs minimum, and Carrick would go on to miss that target in his next two campaigns, leading to him losing his job last summer. Steve Gibson is one of the most patient club owners in England, so it was a reluctant parting of ways between him and a very likeable figure he was desperate to succeed on Teesside.

“He had his clear style of play, he wanted to dominate, attack and create chances. At their best throughout his entire tenure, Middlesbrough could be a dazzling watch. But too often the accusations of ‘no Plan B’ were rolled out when things were going wrong. If Boro weren’t winning pretty, they weren’t generally winning at all.

“With the quality Manchester United have and the less rigorous nature of the Premier League – particularly considering their bare schedule for the rest of the season – it may well be a style that translates very well to Old Trafford.”

In other news, Man Utd are ready to back Carrick with an impressive January signing , though a second target is edging closer to joining rivals Manchester City.