Michael Carrick is facing a too difficult task of defeating Man City in his first match leading Man United on a temporary basis. One side is the championship race team, the other side faces countless problems. When weighed, despite playing at Old Trafford, the "Red Devils"' chances of winning are much lower.
Man United desires to win as much as they want, Man City too. The away team really needs 3 points at Old Trafford to continue chasing Arsenal in the rankings. Pep Guardiola's team has drawn for 3 consecutive matches and let The Gunners take a 6-point lead after round 21.
This is a very difficult time for Man United because achievements are starting to plummet and fans' belief is shaking violently. Even Carrick himself is doubted about being able to lead Man United to beat Man City in this 198th Derby match. That doubt is well-founded because although he has overcome Ole Solskjaer in the temporary hot seat race, Carrick has not really had a glorious record before returning to Old Trafford to face Pep Guardiola.
With Man City, Pep must definitely make adjustments after 3 consecutive draws. From last season until now, The Citizens' possession of the ball is no longer frequent. However, since the match against Real Madrid in the Champions League in December until the confrontation with Newcastle in the League Cup, the Etihad home team is gradually returning to Pep Guardiola's ego. They have passed back and crossed more to ensure a solid game when having the ball.
To effectively implement this playing style, Pep really needs the appearance of Bernardo Silva and Rodri in midfield. Man United has caused difficulties for Man City in recent Derby matches due to their crowded defense and lightning counter-attack style. To prevent that, Pep really needs good ball control like Bernardo and super blockers like Rodri.
With this certainty, Pep will rely on the wings of Jeremy Doku (left) and Antoine Semenyo (right) to create speed and breakthrough. The remaining people who can take turns to create connection are Phil Foden, Tijjani Reijnders and Ryan Cherki.
If Pep has tactical calculations, Carrick is expected to also show off. As someone who always starts with 4-2-3-1, but every time the team pushes up to attack, Carrick's favorite formation is 3-2-5 (one full-back pushes up, while the other full-back is inside). When needed to defend, a 4-4-2 formation will be deployed.
If he feels that the midfield is not superior to Man City, Carrick will prioritize the solid ball control of the midfield and the explosion of strikers. When applying this playing style at Middlesbrough, Carrick has been quite successful in the Championship. However, this playing style is very difficult to apply synchronously with all personnel because only key players can adapt to many roles.
Carrick also likes to attack, but history in recent years has proven that Man United can only play defensive - counter-attacking against Man City if they want to get points. Therefore, it is possible that Carrick will put aside his forte to focus on results.
Regarding important factors on the "Red Devils" side, Bruno Fernandes is still the brightest star. However, if Casemiro starts from the beginning, the veteran Brazilian midfielder may be the star to decide the match. Man United's form often declines when the 33-year-old star is absent. Casemiro is the best defensive midfielder of the home team, capable of turning defense into attack with tackles and intelligent crosses to the wing. He is also one of the team's top aerial options in both penalty areas in set pieces.
Meanwhile, on the other side, the duo Bernardo Silva and Rodri will hold Man City's destiny. If choosing who among these two people is more important, Rodri will emerge as the top choice. Not only being able to block, the Spanish midfielder will be the main pressure on Casemiro, along with regular ball distributions.
Erling Haaland may still be the most fearsome explosive player in the league, but if the midfield is not solid, the Norwegian striker will also find it difficult to have the ball to play.
