Coaching changes are not actually supposed to be magical fixes, no matter how much a trigger-happy front office wants to believe it to be the case. Four weeks into Michael Carrick’s tenure at Manchester United, though, things are so far, so good — they have steadily climbed from seventh place to fourth, making real strides in the race for a finish inside the UEFA Champions League spots.
Carrick has won each of his first four games in charge and is favored to add a fifth to the column on Tuesday at West Ham United, who currently sit inside the relegation zone and are three points from safety. The sample size is small but the tonal shift is starting to become clear — Ruben Amorim’s possession-oriented style has given way for Carrick’s approach to let the opposition have the ball, while the tactical rigidity Amorim was well-known for no longer seems to be the case for the Red Devils. Captain Bruno Fernandes admitted as much after Saturday’s 2-0 win over a 10-man Tottenham Hotspur, saying Carrick has given players more responsibility and freedom.
“I think Michael came in with the right ideas of giving the players the responsibility, but also some freedom to take the responsibility on the pitch during the decisions that are needed,” Fernandes told TNT Sport. “He’s very good with the words and I think he still remembers when I told him last time he was our manager, for our last game [during his four-game spell as a caretaker in 2021], and I was sure Michael could be a great manager and now he is showing it. We hope we can help him even more so everyone can see, not just us as the players, that we are good players and that is why we are at Manchester United, but also the staff is very good.”
How to watch West Ham United vs. Manchester United, odds
- Date: Tuesday, Feb. 10 | Time: 3:15 p.m. ET
- Location: London Stadium — London, England
- Live stream: Peacock
- Odds: West Ham United +330; Draw +310; Manchester United -135
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Carrick’s early success has come with an uptick in terms of end product, but whether that is down to beginner’s luck is worth asking. He inherited one of the Premier League’s most effective attacks, which averaged 1.7 goals from 1.9 expected goals per game across all competitions this season under Amorim. Since Carrick took charge, their output is up considerably – they average 2.5 goals per game, even if they come up with fewer shots these days – but that figure is a departure from the 1.6 expected goals they generate per match. The nature of their four wins have varied greatly, too – they outplayed an out-of-form Manchester City, got the better of a frantic Arsenal that actually did enough to win but cracked under the pressure, played an even game against Fulham and were unimpressive for a half hour against Spurs until Cristian Romero’s red card changed the game.
They deserve credit for not only surviving each one of these matches but coming out on top, this stretch of wins putting them on course to return to the Champions League next season in the process. If that is all Carrick is to be judged on, he is on his way to a job well done; the Champions League, after all, will only bolster United’s attempts to return to their past glory. How exactly Carrick will leave his tactical imprint on the Red Devils is unclear, but, so far, the vibe shift seems to be enough to notch the team’s first four-game winning streak in two years.
“You’ve got to enjoy the buzz of winning, that’s what we’re in it for,” Carrick said on Monday ahead of the trip to West Ham. “You can’t just be flat-lined all the time. You have to feel the waves of emotion. It would all be a little bit boring and pointless if you didn’t, because winning games is what we all strive for. The big challenge is knowing the hard work and preparation that has got you there. Winning a game of football at this level is tough, so you never assume the next one’s just going to be alright.”
Even in the spirit of keeping things light, though, do not expect a certain long-haired fan to be name-dropped in Carrick’s preparations for a potential fifth win in a row.
“I can say I’m aware of it, yeah,” Carrick said on Monday when he was asked about Untied fan Frank Ilett, who has gone viral for waiting to cut his hair until the Red Devils won five games in a row. “My kids have made me aware of it, if anything, but it certainly won’t go into the team talk from a professional level. I can understand what’s going on with it and it does make me smile but it won’t have an impact ultimately in the end.”
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