Man United made the right choice with Carrick.

From the brink of despair, manager Michael Carrick has emerged and given Manchester United a strong chance of securing a Champions League spot next season.

Coach Carrick is leading Man United to great heights - Photo: AFP

Manchester United's transformation under the English manager didn't come from bombastic media pronouncements like his predecessor Ruben Amorim, but rather from his tactical thinking and ability to read the game. The clash with Aston Villa at Old Trafford was the clearest evidence of this.

An architect's perspective

Facing Aston Villa, managed by Unai Emery and known for their tight defensive play and quick counter-attacks, Manchester United endured a frustrating first 45 minutes.

The visiting team played with a deep defensive formation, setting up a multi-tiered bus in front of Emiliano Martínez's goal. The home team's signature wing attacks were completely neutralized, despite Diogo Dalot and Luke Shaw's best efforts to push forward.

But in the second half, a resurgent Manchester United emerged. Carrick didn't make immediate substitutions, instead instructing his players to increase the pace of their ball circulation. The reward came in the 53rd minute: Bruno Fernandes delivered a perfect corner kick for Casemiro to open the scoring.

Despite Ross Barkley equalizing for Aston Villa in the 64th minute, Manchester United did not panic. Bruno Fernandes continued to shine with a through pass that tore apart the defense, allowing Matheus Cunha to run down and put Manchester United ahead 2-1. However, Carrick's most significant decision was to keep the in-form striker Benjamin Sesko on the bench, only bringing him on in the 75th minute.

Just six minutes later, Sesko turned and fired a powerful shot, sealing a 3-1 victory. A perfectly timed substitution, completely ending any hope of the opponent getting a point.

Looking at the bigger picture, Carrick's effectiveness as an "architect" has yielded incredible statistics. Since he took over in mid-January, Man United has been the team with the most points in the Premier League.

In their last nine matches, the "Red Devils" have won 22 out of a possible 27 points, surpassing both Arsenal (21 points/10 matches) and Man City (18 points/9 matches). When Carrick first arrived, Man United were in seventh place, 11 points behind Aston Villa. Now, they sit comfortably in third place with 54 points, three points ahead of Aston Villa.

Manchester United identity

More than just points, what Carrick brought to Old Trafford was the soul and spirit of a force that once dominated English football.

Legendary Wayne Rooney, who spent many years working alongside the 44-year-old manager, stated: "Manchester United should give Carrick the permanent head coach position this summer. The team needs someone calm and knowledgeable about the club. We are seeing the players performing with higher quality, more united as a strong team."

Indeed, Coach Carrick understands Manchester United down to the core. He lived in the dressing room during Sir Alex Ferguson's great era and has absorbed the "Red Devils DNA." His current win rate is over 70% (including the three interim matches in 2021) - the highest in the history of managers at Old Trafford when considering the same number of matches.

This season, English football is expected to have 5 Champions League spots thanks to its high UEFA coefficient. With 54 points currently, 6 points ahead of sixth-placed Chelsea, Man United only needs to win a maximum of 18 points in the remaining 8 matches to secure their return to Europe's most prestigious competition.

The door to the Champions League is wider open than ever. And given what he has shown, signing a long-term contract with Michael Carrick is almost a necessity for the Manchester United leadership.

In his role as a "firefighter," Carrick transformed a struggling team into a winning machine. Therefore, given the budget and a full summer to build the squad, Carrick will take Man United to even greater heights.

Back to the topic

THANH DINH

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/man-united-da-chon-dung-ong-carrick-20260317091853805.htm