Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
FourFourTwo
FourFourTwo
Sport
Joe Donnohue

'Manchester United have been flawless under Michael Carrick. It's not a criticism of Ruben but he changed the back three so much' Former Old Trafford man hails caretaker boss and subtle squad selection tweaks

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 07: Michael Carrick, Manager of Manchester United, celebrates victory during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford on February 07, 2026 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images).

Manchester United recorded their fourth straight win under Michael Carrick last weekend, seeing off Tottenham Hotspur by a 2-0 scoreline at Old Trafford.

The Red Devils were helped by Cristian Romero's first half red card but looked in control for the entire game, restricting Spurs to one shot on target.

Carrick's instalment as interim boss following Ruben Amorim's high-profile exit has coincided with Manchester United picking up results in difficult games. The team have beaten Arsenal, Manchester City and Tottenham over the past couple of weeks and with almost a fully fit squad are showing no signs of letting up.

Michael Carrick's Manchester United are keeping it simple

Bruno Fernandes is in great form under Michael Carrick (Image credit: Getty Images)

Speaking ahead of the midweek Premier League action on TNT Sports, pundit and ex-Manchester United player Owen Hargreaves shared his expert opinion on why everything appears to have gone according to plan since the change in the dugout.

"It's a combination of everything," Hargreaves told FourFourTwo. "You'd have to say, it's been flawless. I don't think anybody could say anything else. Morale is better, fans are happy, team is playing better, most important thing [is] they're winning. I think the good thing is, as well, he's flexible, Carrick is.

Man Utd head coach Michael Carrick (Image credit: Getty Images)

"I don't understand why all these managers getting so stubborn about 'this is how I play'. I've never played in two games of football that looked the same ever, in my whole life. So, why would I want to play the same way all the time so that the other two knows what I'm going to do?

"I think Carras [Carrick] has done a good job of being adaptive and finding different solutions.

"And then you get a guy like Bruno playing his natural position. Get it to him, he'll create, he's the best creator in the division."

Bruno Fernandes scored his sixth goal of the campaign to make sure of all three points last Saturday, in addition to the 12 assists he has already accumulated this term.

Hargreaves believes consistency in team selection, trusting in the players to deliver without changing too much and straight-forward tactical messaging has all contributed to Manchester United's recent results.

"Mike's just gone, 'Yeah, I'm playing Lisandro [Martinez], playing Harry [Maguire]', Casemiro in front, playing as a six. He's not playing in a two anymore, so he doesn't have to cover big spaces. He's got Kobbie to help give him legs, protect him, and then midfield three can play. And he's got Bruno as a 10.

"He's not over-complicated it, he's put people in the positions where they're good, and he's not given them too much instruction, and he's trusted them to play. And it's working.

"Everybody just seems to be on the same page. You think back to Ruben, it's not a criticism but he changed those back three so much, in game as well.

"Every great team I can think of, United, Arsenal, Chelsea; Terry and Carvalho, Ferdinand and Vidic, Adams and Keown, Bould, whatever. There's so many of them. Every team you can think of had that," Hargreaves added.

All of the midweek Premier League football is live on TNT Sports. Manchester United face West Ham at the London Stadium on Tuesday evening, broadcast from 8:15pm on TNT Sports 1.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.