Michael Carrick's Man United promise will unleash three players after Ruben Amorim U-turn

Michael Carrick will look to hit the ground running at Manchester United with him promising to deliver an attacking style of play for the remainder of the 2025/26 season

New Manchester United interim boss Michael Carrick has set the standards for his time at the club with a clear tactical philosophy that will be in place until the end of the season.

Carrick was appointed head coach at Old Trafford until the end of the season after Ruben Amorim was sacked. The 44-year-old will oversee 17 games in total, looking to return the club to the Champions League.

“Having the responsibility to lead Manchester United is an honour. I know what it takes to succeed here, my focus is now on helping the players to reach the standards that we expect at this incredible club, which we know that this group is more than capable of producing.

"I have worked with a number of the players already and have obviously continued to watch the team closely in recent years, I have total belief in their talents, dedication and ability to be successful here.

"There is still a lot to fight for this season, we are ready to pull everyone together and give the fans the performances that their loyal support deserves."

One of the exciting pulls of Carrick's appointment is the highly preferred style of play with a back four. After Amorim preferred a back three, United are expected to return to a 4-2-3-1 system under their new head coach.

Modelled from Sir Alex Ferguson's attacking and dominant football, Carrick's style of play is set to complement a number of players. In his sit-down interview with the club, the former England international provided an insight into what his players and fans can expect.

"You want to win games, it goes without saying, we want to win games," he said. “There’s different ways of doing it, of course, different scenarios, different situations in games that [mean] you might have to play a certain way.

“You want to win games, it goes without saying, we want to win games,” Carrick begins on the podcast. “There’s different ways of doing it, of course, different scenarios, different situations in games that [mean] you might have to play a certain way.

“But I think for me it's [about] working with the players. I love working with the players and helping them get better individually, which, hopefully, will help the team improve and [I want to] be there to support them. I'm one of them, we're all in it together, and I think it's important that we all look after each other.

“But I know it comes down to results. Hopefully, we can play a really exciting type of football and be positive and express and bring excitement. I want to be off my seat. I want to be enjoying watching the boys play, and results obviously need to come with that."

The promise to play exciting football and go into every game positively is something United had lacked under Amorim. In the 1-1 draw against Wolves, who had just two points at the time, last month, United started in a 3-4-3 and were passive in dropping points at home.

Carrick's words will be music to the ears of supporters, as well as certain players. Kobbie Mainoo, a player Carrick has publicly praised previously, is the club's most progressive midfielder and is likely to start alongside one of Manuel Ugarte or Casemiro.

After starting just once under Amorim, being denied the chance to leave the club in the summer, and having interest from Napoli in January, Mainoo now has the opportunity to revive his United career and secure a spot at the World Cup with England.

Another player who should, undoubtedly, benefit from Carrick's appointment is Bruno Fernandes. The United captain was one of the victims of Amorim's system, as he played in the midfield pivot rather than the No. 10 position.

In the first game post-Amorim against Burnley, Fernandes picked up the ball in space, looked up and played Benjamin Sesko through on goal to score. In the previous system, he didn't have the luxury of floating into those positions as often.

When Fernandes plays well, United often do as a team. As Carrick's primary creative outlet, he will be instrumental in creating chances and providing that 'exciting' football at Old Trafford.

The final player who should be a key part of Carrick's tenure at United is Matheus Cunha. The Brazilian faces uncertainty around his place in the squad, despite starting 16 of his 18 Premier League games this season.

He doesn't necessarily have a best position with him filling in as a No. 10, striker, and winger. With Bryan Mbeumo and Amad returning from AFCON and Benjamin Sesko leading the line, one of the three other attackers will be forced to sit out.

However, Cunha is an exciting player and offers that maverick personality that has been lacking. The summer signing has scored three goals in his previous six league games, and his ability to float into central areas will help create a midfield box that Carrick likes.

At Middlesbrough, Carrick often used one of his wide attackers to invert to join the No.10, allowing the wing-back space to attack. With United, Patrick Dorgu is a prime candidate for that role, with Cunha coming inside from the left to work closely with Fernandes.

So much has been made about the 'United way' and playing on the front foot. After 14 months of a more controlled approach to playing, Carrick is set to bring the principles that will get fans back on side for the remainder of the season.

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