It is too early to talk about the revival of the "Red Devils" or the end of the gloomy period at Manchester United, but under interim coach Michael Carrick, a new breath of life is present.
3 wins in 3 matches, including the Manchester derby and the dramatic 3-2 defeat to Arsenal, have clearly changed the atmosphere at Old Trafford. Even though the victory over Fulham last weekend was not really convincing, the way Man United finished the match still evoked the DNA that was once a specialty under Alex Ferguson.
If they beat Tottenham Hotspur this weekend, Man United will move closer to a 5-match winning streak that they have been waiting for for a long time. However, nothing can be said for sure as the ball has not rolled.
Is this a general change effect, or the beginning of a sustainable direction? Anyway, Carrick seems to be finding a way out for a team that is often out of sync in the Ruben Amorim era.
Amorim left behind an unpleasant legacy. The 3-4-2-1 formation was defended to the end by him, although many times it was not suitable for the available personnel, leading to the worst average scoring efficiency per game and the lowest clean sheet rate of a coach in Man United history.
Carrick went in the opposite direction. He appeared with existing respect from the dressing room. The players understood what he had done in the Man United shirt and understood that he knew the pressure at Old Trafford could make "the shirt heavy as lead".
If Amorim often publicly criticizes the squad, Carrick brings a sense of calmness and moderation. And more importantly, he has changed the right place.
Carrick removed Amorim's ineffective system to return to the 4-man defense, with 2 defensive midfielders and a mobile 4-man attacking line above. This arrangement helps captain Bruno Fernandes play closer to the goal - exactly where he creates the most damage. Giving up the role of full-back also frees Amad Diallo, so that he plays truly as a winger instead of having to shoulder too many defensive tasks.
Carrick also brought Kobbie Mainoo back on track after a period of being pushed into a lost role. In the defense, Harry Maguire was recalled to "bear the brunt" for the defense, Luke Shaw returned to his familiar left-back position, and Lisandro Martinez recovered from injury to help improve the quality of pairing options.
In attack, Bryan Mbeumo proved to be suitable when given the flexible number 9 role, while Matheus Cunha brought the element of breakthrough - something that Man United lacked for too long. It is not surprising that under Carrick's hand, the "Red Devils" scored 8 goals/3 matches, with performance in the best group of the league in the same period.
However, this is not the time to exaggerate. Man United is not yet ready for the championship race, even the top 4 target and a ticket to the UEFA Champions League next season are also difficult problems when Liverpool, Chelsea and Aston Villa are all fiercely competing.
In the long term, Man United still needs to add a strong, energetic, and creative defensive midfielder.In short, Carrick and Man United have not been able to prove anything decisive.
But they have created a launching pad to aim for the most realistic goal - returning to the Champions League.If Carrick completes that task, the chance of him being officially appointed will be very high.
