The tactics Carrick will hope can fix Man Utd

There are two versions of Michael Carrick the coach: the interim manager who took charge of Manchester United for three games and the Middlesbrough manager who spent three years in the Championship.

The nature of both projects could not have been more different, with one an extremely short-term job and the other a long-term assignment.

Five months, as interim head coach until the end of the season, lands awkwardly in the middle, so how might Carrick set United up?

Carrick’s first two games as United’s head coach are a difficult challenge, against the two best teams in the league at present, Manchester City and Arsenal.

At Middlesbrough, Carrick was reluctant to change his system, looking to dominate the game through high possession.

When he was United’s interim boss in 2021 he faced Thomas Tuchel, Unai Emery and Mikel Arteta, winning twice and drawing once, and changing the system each game in a pragmatic manner.

The most significant tweak was in how his United side nullified Tuchel’s Chelsea with a 4-3-1-2 defensive shape that blocked the centre of the pitch. Speaking on Match of the Day earlier this season, Carrick said that his rationale was to stop all access to Tuchel’s midfield two because their progression was typically through the middle.

United’s narrow front three stopped passes into Jorginho and Ruben Loftus-Cheek while the physical centre-midfielders in Scott McTominay and Fred tracked and pressed Chelsea’s wing-backs.

To ensure United kept three in midfield when McTominay or Fred pressed, the other two midfielders would shift over and the far-side attacker would drop in.

The game ended 1-1 with Chelsea’s only goal coming from a penalty.

Rayan Cherki’s performances this season have stood out and blocking the middle of the pitch, minimising his influence in dangerous areas, might be something Carrick’s side look to do.

The recent signing of Antoine Semenyo and Jeremy Doku’s return from injury make City equally dangerous from out wide so doubling up on the wingers may also minimise their threat.

A 4-5-1 that blocks space, instead of pressing, before launching quick attacks against a less experienced defence might be how an adaptable Carrick counters City.

Against Arsenal, Liverpool’s performance last week provides a helpful, albeit risky, blueprint.

In possession, Florian Wirtz played as a false nine, dropping deep and creating an overload for Liverpool in midfield, with Gabriel reluctant to track him. Their technical quality ensured Liverpool kept the ball well, taking the sting out of the game.

Out of possession, both Liverpool wingers man-marked Arsenal’s roaming full-backs, reducing their influence.

There is also the possibility that Carrick opts to build on things Ruben Amorim did before his departure, not wanting to introduce too much change too quickly against difficult opposition.

Game-specific tweaks are key, especially when looking to bridge a gap in quality.

United do have top talent of their own and as time passes, Carrick will certainly put his stamp on how they look to play.

In the Championship, Carrick’s side played a 4-2-3-1 on paper but this shape changed in-game depending on the phase of play. “The actual formation often doesn’t make a huge difference to how we do things,” were Carrick’s words when talking about his system in 2024.

When Middlesbrough had solid possession in the middle of the pitch, they would move into a 3-2-5 shape.

Criticism of Amorim was heavily based on his 3-2-4-1 shape so it is interesting that Carrick likes his teams to attack in a similar way. Where they differ however is in how they move into that shape, the roles each player is given and the balance between freedom and tactical instruction.

Middlesbrough’s shape moved into a 3-2-5 primarily through left-back Ryan Giles staying high and wide while the right-back in defence.

No team in the Championship scored more goals in the league during Carrick’s time as manager using these tactics. They dominated possession most games and their approach was measured as they looked to unpick teams.

Although they favoured possession, when the opportunity to pass the ball more directly opened up, players were encouraged to play at speed. They scored often from fast breaks but this was mainly after the opposition turned the ball over in dangerous areas.

Player quality and outgoing transfers meant these moments became less frequent in Carrick’s final season.

The main critique was that they became too slow and predictable on the ball. That and the space they would leave defensively, if they attacked or pressed too aggressively.

The 3-2-5 shape, although a constant for Carrick, did leave room for rotations and freedom in attack, something that will suit United’s attackers, many who have shown qualities in more than one position.

Put simply, Carrick will look to play a high-possession 3-2-5 on the ball while defending in a 4-4-2 that looks to block space. You could replace Carrick’s name with many modern coaches and that sentence would remain true.

Looking at coaches who dominate the ball, the two shapes mentioned are perhaps the most popular combination used at the top level.

If Carrick can drill this into them over the next few months this will bode well for a Manchester United in flux, leaving them with a foundation that many coaches could build upon with ease.

Steve Holland, United’s new assistant manager, has explained that there are numerous ways to end up in the 3-2-5 attack shape that Carrick will likely use.

Middlesbrough did it with Giles pushing up, given his pace, endurance and quality as a crosser.

A player like Luke Shaw at left-back might keep his position as a third central defender in possession, for example, instead of playing high and wide, with another playing holding width.

Every player does not have to do the same job their Middlesbrough equivalent did but the principles between both sides will likely remain the same. This is something Amorim struggled with – looking for like-for-like copies of his successful Sporting side.