For the first time in what feels like an age, Manchester United look and feel like a football team again. The chaotic blur of tactical confusion, positional tinkering, and uninspired performances that marked Ruben Amorim’s final months at Old Trafford have given way to clarity, energy, and results.
Under interim manager Michael Carrick, United have delivered back-to-back statement wins: a clinical 2-0 dismissal of City in the derby, followed by a stunning 3-2 away triumph over Arsenal.
But perhaps more important than the results is how United are winning. The football is structured yet expressive, the players look clear in their roles and engaged in their duties, and the team – once again – defends as a unit and attacks with purpose.
It is not revolution. It is restoration.
The Return of Basics
Carrick’s impact has not been flashy, nor built on slogans or sentimental appeals to the past. Instead, he has returned to the fundamentals – and that is precisely what United needed.
Gone is Amorim’s rigid 3-4-2-1 system that often saw square pegs in round holes. Carrick has returned United to a 4-2-3-1, a shape that allows their best players to play in their best positions.
Bruno Fernandes, the heartbeat of the team, is thriving again in his preferred No.10 role. Casemiro has rediscovered form and authority at the base of midfield. Youngsters like Kobbie Mainoo and Patrick Dorgu have been trusted and delivered – not out of desperation, but as part of a coherent, well-drilled unit.
“He hasn’t done anything magical,” goalkeeper Senne Lammens admitted after the Arsenal win. “It’s just basic football done right. If you do the basics well, our quality will come out.”
That “common sense” approach has allowed a talented but disjointed squad to reset, reconnect, and – crucially – believe again.
Coaching with Clarity, Leading with Calm
Carrick’s demeanour has been a mirror of his playing days: calm, composed, unflustered. But don’t mistake his quietness for softness.
Players speak of clear communication, demanding standards, and tactical sessions that marry intensity with intelligence. His backroom team, including England veteran Steve Holland, has brought a wealth of experience and focus, and it shows.
Behind the scenes, Carrick has immersed himself fully – attending youth matches, observing academy sessions, and engaging with staff at all levels. There is a unity of vision forming again, a return to the culture that once defined the club.
A Reminder – Not a Revolution
Yet, amid the euphoria of victories over two of the Premier League’s title contenders, a note of caution is essential.
We’ve seen this story before.
When Ole Gunnar Solskjær took interim charge in 2018, United soared, playing joyful football and winning fans’ hearts. But the feel-good factor eventually plateaued. The lack of a long-term strategy, of tactical evolution and elite-level management came back to haunt the club.
Carrick deserves credit for stabilising the ship, but United must avoid mistaking emotional highs for structural progress. The real test lies ahead – in games against “low block” sides like Fulham, where invention and patience, not passion, will decide results.
Gary Neville and Roy Keane have both spoken firmly: Carrick should stay until May, but the club must not rush into another Solskjær-style appointment. Titles are not won with sentiment; they are won with strategy.
A Glimmer of Glory?
Still, for a club adrift for much of the season, Carrick has brought back something priceless: hope. United have taken six points off City and Arsenal in eight days – more than they managed in the five games prior against relegation candidates. They are fourth in the table, playing with confidence, and crucially, face no European distractions.
Can they actually challenge for the title?
On paper, it sounds preposterous. But in a season where the top teams are faltering, and United have only 15 games left, stranger things have happened.
If they keep winning – with Carrick’s quiet authority guiding them – then questions about his long-term future will only grow louder. For now, he is staying silent on that front. “I’m here to do a job,” he told reporters, choosing humility over hype. “We won’t get carried away.”
But the fans? They’re already singing.
“It’s Carrick, you know…”
And maybe, just maybe, that song could echo into something bigger.
