Well, from my view, things just got interesting at United, didn’t they? They’ve gone and brought Michael Carrick back, honestly, to try and be the boss until summer 2026. It’s a big deal because, let’s be real, things have been all over the place. Makes you wonder if he can actually fix it, and what it means for my fantasy team, to be totally honest.
This all happened after they let Ruben Amorim go, which feels like ages ago but was just this month. Darren Fletcher had a go for a bit, but then came that loss to Brighton. Now Carrick’s first game is against City, of all teams. What a way to start.
He said in the announcement that leading United is an “honour,” which you’d expect him to say. He talked about knowing what success takes here, and that he believes in the players a lot. “There is still a lot to fight for,” he said, which is true, I guess. He wants to pull everyone together.
Now, his managing career isn’t super long. He did a little caretaker bit here before, won a couple games actually. Then he was at Middlesbrough for a few years. Started really well, got them right up the table, but then they just sort of… stayed mid-table after that? Which is why he left.
Tactically, he’s really married to this idea of playing out from the back with a back four, usually in a 4-2-3-1. He loves possession and quick attacks. At Boro, they passed it short all the time. He’s said he won’t change that style, it’s what he believes in. Some people think that’s a problem, that he doesn’t have another way to play if it isn’t working.
The numbers at Boro were okay. They scored a fair bit in his last year, but defending wasn’t their strongest point. They let in a middling amount of goals, clean sheets were just okay.
For my fantasy picks, this is where I’m paying attention. He’ll probably use that 4-2-3-1, which is different. He wants exciting, positive football, he said so. United being out of the cups now means less rotation, which is always good for us.
The next games are brutal, playing the top two. Might be best to watch and see what happens before bringing any United players in. Their defense has been bad for clean sheets all season, so I’m not touching them yet. But a cheap defender like Ayden Heaven, if he plays, could be good because they’ll pass from the back.
Going forward, Bruno Fernandes could be happier. Carrick might play him higher up, which suits him. Carrick’s always rated him, talked about him being a difference-maker. Kobbie Mainoo might get a proper chance too; Carrick rates him highly, said he sees him creating things.
Other guys to maybe watch are Sesko, who’s scoring lately, Mbeumo, Cunha, Amad. Carrick had a good record with his strikers at Boro, getting lots of goals from them, so Sesko could keep his form up.
So, yeah. Everything sort of starts with the derby on Saturday. We’ll see what his ideas actually look like on the pitch. Might change a lot for United, and for my fantasy team, if I’m being honest about it.
