The doubts were beginning to creep in about the big-name manager who was appointed in the summer as well as the big-money signings that had joined the squad. Much the same as last year, but with a different manager – that seemed to be the feeling amongst sections of fans.
Today, the Red Devils have climbed back into UEFA Champions League reckoning, sitting in third place having put together a run of six consecutive victories. While they have not been extremely dominant, there has been an efficiency about United that has seen them take the chances offered and make the most of some good fortune along the way.
The manager and the players themselves have been keen to point that out during the run.
But while David de Gea’s saves, Robin van Persie’s return to form and the good showings of Ashley Young and Antonio Valencia as wingbacks dominate discussions, the return of another key element of this United side has been overlooked.
United’s win streak has coincided with Michael Carrick’s return to the starting line-up. The English midfielder made his way into the starting 11 against Crystal Palace at home on November 8 after recovering from injury, and his influence has been subtly stirring if not loudly obvious.“Michael is one of those unassuming, quiet guys, who just goes about his job and never gives the ball away. But his range of passing can win you games. He has great potential and is a real Manchester United player.” – Sir Alex Ferguson
You may not see him running himself into the ground, hit stinging shots on goal or put in crunching tackles that send the pulse racing. But his intelligence and efficient operation in United’s midfield and defence have laid the foundation for the team’s improved showing of late.
You might say that they still look very susceptible to conceding goals every time they take the field. That’s true, they are still very much a work in progress, but Carrick’s return has brought about a measure of control to United’s play and possession, something that Louis van Gaal absolutely needs to get his project off the ground.
In midfield
In both positions that he’s played so far – holding midfielder and central defender – Carrick has excelled and played a key role in delivering results for his side.
His reading of the game is right up there with the best and the way he nips in to intercept the ball has been a feature in United’s play during this winning run. Van Gaal brought in Daley Blind from Ajax to play in that role and while the Dutchman didn’t perform badly, Carrick has one-upped him so far.
Moreover, his vastly larger passing range allows him to play with commensurate ease with the ball at his feet even under pressure.
We got glimpses of that this past weekend in United’s win over Liverpool. There were numerous occasions when Carrick was put under pressure by the Liverpool players either while retrieving an under-hit pass or playing it out of defence, yet he managed to make the right decisions and was ice-cool throughout the game.
In defence
The passing, anticipation and interceptions have been vital ingredients to his exemplary performance in the heart of defence as well. Crucially though, Carrick ensures Van Gaal’s side can now play their way out from the back, something that the Dutchman has been keen on since he arrived.
We saw that at the World Cup too with Netherlands; amongst Van Gaal’s back three of Ron Vlaar, Bruno Martins Indi and Stefan De Vrij, Vlaar was the enforcer, while De Vrij and Martins Indi in particular would look for the out-ball. He has Chris Smalling in Vlaar’s role now, a no-nonsense defender, and Carrick does the Martins Indi work.
The sense of calm that Carrick has brought in is something that was missing earlier when United used to almost play in a state of chaos, the stunning 3-5 reversal away at Leicester being a prime example.
The side was overloaded with a whole host of gifted attacking players in Wayne Rooney, Van Persie, Angel di Maria and Ander Herrera who were a little too forward-looking all the time, and their matches often resembled basketball games – up one end then down the other.
Daley Blind was left with too many holes to plug by himself, and that’s the primary reason why United were opened up so easily.
Against Southampton last Monday, Van Gaal decided to take out young Paddy McNair 42 minutes into the match as he was being given a torrid time, and chose to push Carrick into his role instead of bringing in another centre-back. That allowed United to play out from the back with Carrick pinging balls to the midfield and forwards.
With Carrick playing at the back, the defence no longer blindly hacks balls away at the first sign of trouble; there’s a sense of assuredness about them now.
Fluidity in play
To underestimate Carrick’s influence and dismiss his contributions as passé would be the equivalent of dissing Xavi and claiming that he played just an infinitesimal part in the great Barcelona team under Pep Guardiola.
Carrick is a guy who has been showered with praise by two of the best midfielders of the last decade in Xavi and United’s very own Paul Scholes. He is one of those players who is highly spoken of amongst his teammates at Old Trafford, even if the fans consider him nothing but a mediocre spoke in this team.
He creates time for himself on the ball and makes retention of the football a top priority, even if it involves a square pass to the keeper. We all saw how leaky United’s ‘run and gun’ style early on proved.
Efficiency and intelligence are underrated in today’s football. A cerebral player like Carrick going about his work with a sense of languidness may be construed as showing little effort to some, but in truth his composed nature is a result of him having a high football IQ and being able to mentally see a play far ahead of his peers.
He is sure to hold his place down even when Blind returns, as Manchester United are going to need his high-level performances throughout the rest of the season to sustain their campaign for a top-four finish. Carrick is the glue to holding it together for the United side at the moment.
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