Carrick Manchester United impact revives questions over Amorim era
Manchester United’s late 3-2 win over Fulham under interim manager Michael Carrick has raised more questions about Ruben Amorim’s 14-month spell in charge, with results and performances changing quickly for the Premier League side.
Benjamin Sesko grabbed the headlines with a stoppage-time winner, completing a dramatic turnaround that lifted United to their third consecutive league victory.
The run has come in Carrick’s first three matches of his second spell in charge, a level of consistency that proved elusive for Amorim.
“It’s the best feeling,” Carrick said after the match. “Some of the best moments here I’ve been lucky enough to be a part of, when you get a moment of elation and excitement like that. There’s no better place, in front of the Stretford End.”
Results highlight sharp contrast
United’s current form stands in contrast to Amorim’s tenure. The Portuguese coach managed three consecutive Premier League wins only once and never had United as high as fourth at the end of a match round.
His league record of 1.23 points per game remains the lowest of any United manager since Sir Alex Ferguson’s departure in 2013.
Carrick, by comparison, has now won four of his five league games across two spells in charge, placing him alongside Sir Matt Busby and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in club history.
Tactical shift brings Mainoo back
One immediate change has been the switch from a back three to a back four, a move that has coincided with Kobbie Mainoo’s return to the starting XI.
The midfielder had not started a league game this season under Amorim but impressed against Fulham in a deeper role.
“Kobbie’s performance was very good today in so many ways,” Carrick said. “There was a lot of work for Kobbie and Casemiro to do in the middle of the pitch… and I thought he was terrific.”
“With the ball, he’s not fazed. He understands what’s needed and he comes up with moments of quality.”
Champions League picture shifts
United’s recent upturn has moved them into the Champions League places, with a five-point cushion over seventh.
That position contrasts sharply with last season’s Europa League final defeat to Tottenham, a result that cost the club financially and in prestige.
As United prepare to face Spurs again, talk continues over Carrick’s long-term future.
However, the immediate focus has shifted to a broader question now dominating discussion at Old Trafford: whether the Amorim era represented a costly year lost in transition.
