Michael Carrick has had 11 long days to stew on his first defeat as Manchester United’s interim head coach. No FA Cup distractions. No midweek European ties. Just time alone with his thoughts.
United looked set to make it eight unbeaten under the club legend when Casemiro headed home an equaliser at Newcastle United. But William Osula’s stunning 90th-minute strike snatched victory for the hosts and prompted overdue soul-searching.
A First Setback and Time to Reflect
Defeat was always coming. This team was never going to go the rest of the season unbeaten. The performance at St James’ Park had been flat — and that, too, had been brewing.
Since the swashbuckling, rondo-laden win over Manchester City and the thrilling triumph against Arsenal in Carrick’s opening two matches, the fluency has gradually drained away.
The 1-1 draw at West Ham — salvaged by Benjamin Šeško’s 90+6 minute equaliser — was a slog.
Against Crystal Palace and Everton, passes increasingly went astray and invention was in short supply, even if results held up.
There remains plenty of optimism. United have lost just once under Carrick and sit third in the Premier League, firmly in the Champions League places. But this 11-day reset has come at the right time.
So what’s ailing Carrick’s United?
The Left-Sided Imbalance
Injuries have played their part. Patrick Dorgu was electric on the left in those statement wins over City and Arsenal before a hamstring injury ruled him out until at least April.
Lisandro Martínez struck up an authoritative partnership with Harry Maguire, but the World Cup winner has missed the last three games with a calf problem.
Mason Mount and Matthijs de Ligt have also been sidelined but the absence of natural left-footers in Martínez and Dorgu has created a visible imbalance in the team.
Leny Yoro has slotted in alongside Maguire but looked unsettled. The reshuffle has pushed Maguire to left centre-back. He is more of a carrier than a penetrative passer capable of fizzing the ball into the final third like Martínez.
Couple that with Dorgu’s replacement, Matheus Cunha, preferring to drop deep and drift infield rather than hold the width, and United’s left flank has been blunted. The attack has narrowed. The unpredictability has faded.
A Squad Stretched Thin
Depth is another concern. Carrick’s in-game options are limited. There are no natural deputies or alternatives for Bruno Fernandes, Casemiro or Kobbie Mainoo in midfield.
Up front, he must pick three from four: Bryan Mbeumo, Šeško, Cunha and Amad Diallo.
With De Ligt injured, there is no real alternative to Maguire. The same applies to Luke Shaw at left-back.
Decisions Ahead of Villa
So what can Carrick do before Sunday’s pivotal top-four clash with Aston Villa?
One option is to deploy Mbeumo as the central striker again — a ploy that worked superbly against City and Arsenal. It would be tough on the in-form Šeško, who has just nailed down a starting role, but Mbeumo’s mobility could exploit Villa’s high defensive line.
Given the left-sided imbalance, there are growing murmurs of a recall for young defender Ayden Heaven to provide a natural left-footed presence in central defence — at Yoro’s expense — and restore some passing range.
A braver call would be to reintroduce Mount in midfield after his return to training. Fernandes, Mainoo and Casemiro all dipped against Newcastle. But dropping one would be bold — is this really the moment for it?
A Defining Afternoon
Sunday feels like more than just another fixture in the run-in. It is a litmus test of Carrick’s adaptability as much as United’s resilience.
