In a turn of events, caretaker manager Michael Carrick has guided Manchester United to three consecutive victories against top-tier opposition, Manchester City, Arsenal, and Fulham. This immediate impact highlights a critical question being asked by fans, football Analyst, and Coaches: is the core “Manchester United DNA” proving more effective than the rigid three-back system that preceded it.
The statistics are stark. Carrick achieved this trio of wins in his first three games, a feat that took his predecessor, Rúben Amorim, 47 matches to accomplish. This contrast proves a period of clear struggle for the team under the old structure. The three-back system often left United exposed, easy to play through, and surprisingly vulnerable when trying to defend a lead. There was a growing sense that the system, rather than the players, was the primary issue.
A key symptom of this disconnect was the positioning of key personnel. Creative player and captain Bruno Fernandes was frequently deployed as a deep-lying playmaker alongside Casemiro, a partnership that never truly flourished. This move neutralized Fernandes’s greatest strengths, his late runs into the box and his attacking threat while adding little defensive solidity.
Despite these obvious issues, Amorim appeared reluctant to adjust his tactics to better suit the squad at his disposal.
Since Carrick’s appointment following Amorim’s sacking, the change has been palpable. United have rediscovered their rhythm, playing with a cohesion and tactical clarity that was missing. The team appears more balanced, better organized in defense, and more threatening going forward. This revival is being described as a return to “the United way”, a style built on controlled aggression, fluid attacking play, and a resilient defensive foundation.
Carrick’s approach seems less about imposing a complex foreign system and more about simplifying the game plan to highlight the squad’s existing strengths.
Players are being used in their natural roles, which has instantly improved individual and collective performance. Struggling Patrick Dorgu now look a better player under Michael Carrick, who plays with a lot of freedom on the left hand side of United attack, who scored against Manchester City and league Leaders Arsenal in Carrick first two games as a caretaker coach. Luke Shaw is now playing in his favorite position after playing as a Center back under Ruben Amorim.
While it is still early days, the evidence from Carrick’s brief tenure is compelling. It suggests that for Manchester United, success may not lie in overcomplicated tactical blueprints, but in a return to the club’s fundamental footballing identity.
The coming weeks will test this theory further, when they play Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford next weekend followed by two away games at Everton and relegation threatened side West Ham who lost to Chelsea 3-2 at Stamford Bridge after taking a two goal lead.