Man Utd star turns table on Ruben Amorim vs Michael Carrick debate

Man Utd star turns table on Ruben Amorim vs Michael Carrick debate - 'Very misleading'

Michael Carrick has been hailed for turning around Manchester United after the struggles of the Ruben Amorim era, but striker Matheus Cunha has a slightly different take

Ruben Amorim deserves some of the credit for Manchester United's improvement since Michael Carrick took over, according to Matheus Cunha. United have won four and drawn one of their five games since Carrick became interim manager in mid-January, having been stuck in a rut under Amorim, but Cunha insists things are not so straightforward.

Amorim was sacked on January 5 following an eye-catching rant after a 1-1 draw at Leeds. United were sixth at the time, having finished a lowly 15th and lost the Europa League final in Amorim's debut campaign. Overall, he won just 24 of his 63 matches in charge over 14 months.

The Portuguese coach's insistence on United playing a 3-4-2-1 formation was one of the key features of his reign. Carrick has since changed the formation to a 4-2-3-1, recalling Kobbie Mainoo from exile on the bench. He has overseen wins over Manchester City and Arsenal and earned major plaudits for restoring the positivity at the club.

However, Cunha believes that in some ways things aren't so different now, with Carrick building on the foundations laid by his predecessor. The Brazilian also said his £62.5million move from Wolves last summer wouldn't have happened without Amorim in charge.

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"I've always been very grateful for everything Ruben did," Cunha told DAZN. "I think it's very easy, when things change, to see the past as only problems, but it's quite the opposite; he was an incredible person. Many new players came because of him, so I think he also plays a big part in the success we are having now."

The 26-year-old has thrived under Carrick's management, following up an assist in the win over Manchester City with goals in victories against Arsenal and Fulham. But he thinks the change in tactics from Amorim to Carrick has been overblown as a factor in United's resurgence.

"The pressure for that tactic to work was so great that we forgot how simple the overall context was and focused too much on the negative," Cunha said. "But, to be very honest, I think the numbers of football is very misleading. We attack in various ways and end up defending with the formation that everyone says is Ruben's."

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United are fourth in the Premier League, one point better off than fifth-placed Chelsea. They have enjoyed an extended break since Benjamin Sesko rescued a point with a late goal in the 1-1 draw at West Ham on February 10 and now face a trip to Everton on Monday.

Carrick is only under contract as interim boss until the end of the season, when United will appoint a long-term successor to Amorim. But the former midfielder is building a strong case for the role, with Wayne Rooney among those to back him.

"We’ve been there and tried different managers – (Jose) Mourinho, (Louis) van Gaal, (Erik) ten Hag and (Ruben) Amorim – and for me Carrick makes sense. Not because we’ve played together and we’re friends, but because he is a real calming influence," the United legend said on The Overlap's Fan Debate.

"Having someone there who knows the club and cares for the club makes a big difference. Michael is managing the whole squad and managing them well."

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