On Tuesday, Manchester United announced the return of Michael Carrick as head coach until the end of the season.
But can he sort out the mess at Old Trafford, and what does his appointment mean for Fantasy Premier League (FPL) managers?
Our Scout Report takes a closer look.
CAREER SO FAR
| Club | Season | Division | P | W | D | L | G | F | Pos |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Middlesbrough (manager) | 2024/25 | Championship | 46 | 18 | 10 | 18 | 64 | 56 | 10th |
| 2023/24 | Championship | 46 | 20 | 9 | 17 | 71 | 62 | 8th | |
| 2022/23 | Championship | 30 | 18 | 4 | 8 | 65 | 35 | 4th | |
| Man Utd (caretaker manager) | 2021/22 | Premier League | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 6th |
Carrick’s senior management career is somewhat limited.
Apart from a short previous stint as caretaker manager at United (more on that later), his only other senior role was in charge of Middlesbrough from October 2022 to June 2025.
Carrick successfully guided Boro from 21st in the Championship when he took over to 4th by the end of the season, only to lose to Coventry City in the play-off semi-finals.
But they lacked consistency thereafter.
Boro finished 8th in 2023/24, before coming 10th in 2024/25, resulting in Carrick losing his job.
There was a run to the EFL Cup semi-finals in 2023/24, however, where Boro were eventually beaten by Chelsea.
CARRICK’S APPOINTMENT
United sacked Ruben Amorim earlier this month, at a time when they were level on points with fifth-placed Chelsea.
Darren Fletcher was initially handed responsibility for the first team, leading his team to a draw against Burnley, before experiencing an FA Cup third-round loss to Brighton and Hove Albion on Sunday.
Carrick, however, will take charge of Saturday’s Manchester derby, having been appointed as head coach until the end of the 2025/26 season.
“Having the responsibility to lead Manchester United is an honour. I know what it takes to succeed here; my focus is now on helping the players to reach the standards that we expect at this incredible club, which we know that this group is more than capable of producing.
“I have worked with a number of the players already and have obviously continued to watch the team closely in recent years, I have total belief in their talents, dedication and ability to be successful here. There is still a lot to fight for this season, we are ready to pull everyone together and give the fans the performances that their loyal support deserves.” – Michael Carrick
Former England assistant Steve Holland, as well as Jonathan Woodgate, Travis Binnion, Jonny Evans and Craig Mawson, will be included in Carrick’s coaching staff.
PREFERRED TACTICS/PLAYING STYLE
Carrick primarily employed a back-four system at Middlesbrough, playing an attractive, possession-based style of football.
Players had to be comfortable playing out from the back, almost exclusively in a 4-2-3-1 formation, before launching fast attacks when they had the opportunity to.
The left winger was often given the freedom to drift infield, allowing the left-back to support the attack and maintain width.
Meanwhile, the right-back would tuck in to form a back three, with the in-possession shape captured below via The Athletic, including left-back Ryan Giles (3) pushed high up the left flank.
That said, supporters often criticised Carrick for his lack of a ‘plan B’, which sometimes resulted in leads being squandered.
“I’m not going to change the style of play, it is what I know and what I believe in. We wouldn’t be good coaches if we suddenly went down a totally different route.” – Michael Carrick
THE NUMBERS
In Carrick’s final season in charge at Middlesbrough, they ranked joint-fourth for goals scored, second for shots per game and third for expected goals (xG).
| 2024/25 (Championship rank) | |
|---|---|
| Goals | 64 (=4th) |
| Expected goals (xG) | 71.08 (3rd) |
| Shots per game | 14.5 (2nd) |
Maintaining possession was key (55.4% average), as the approach focused on wearing down opponents by retaining control of the ball.
In fact, Boro averaged 465 short passes per game, ranking third among all Championship teams, while they were 22nd for long balls per game, with 49.
Defensively, the underlying stats weren’t that impressive.
| 2024/25 (Championship rank) | |
|---|---|
| Goals conceded | 56 (=9th) |
| Clean sheets | 13 (=10th) |
| Expected goals conceded (xGC) | 58.93 (9th) |
| Shots conceded per game | 11.0 (=10th) |
UNITED UNDER CARRICK LAST TIME OUT
As previously stated, Carrick has been United’s manager before.
In late 2021, he took over at Old Trafford for three matches following the dismissal of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, which included wins against Villarreal and Arsenal, along with a draw away at Chelsea.
Carrick subsequently left when Ralf Rangnick arrived.
| Opponent | Result | Goals | Assists | Starting XI + subs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Villarreal (a) | 2-0 win | Ronaldo, Sancho | Fred, Rashford | (4-2-3-1) – De Gea; Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Maguire, Telles; McTominay, Fred; Sancho (Mata 93), van de Beek (Fernandes 66), Martial (Rashford 66); Ronaldo (Matic 91) |
| Chelsea (a) | 1-1 draw | Sancho | (4-3-1-2) – De Gea; Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Bailly, Telles; McTominay, Matic, Fred; Fernandes (van de Beek 89); Sancho (Ronaldo 64), Rashford (Lingard 77) | |
| Arsenal (h) | 3-2 win | Fernandes, Ronaldo x2 | Rashford, Fred x2 | (4-2-3-1) – De Gea; Dalot, Lindelof, Maguire, Telles; McTominay, Fred; Sancho, Fernandes (van de Beek 90), Rashford (Lingard 79); Ronaldo (Martial 88) |
FINAL THOUGHTS
Carrick will likely use a 4-2-3-1 formation at United, marking a departure from the three-at-the-back system employed by Amorim.
With a more attacking approach, it could be exactly what United need until the end of the season.
“Hopefully, we can play a really exciting type of football and be positive and express and bring excitement. I want to be off my seat. I want to be enjoying watching the boys play, and results obviously need to come with that.” – Michael Carrick
United are already out of both domestic cup competitions, which ensures that their focus will be solely on the Premier League; therefore, you’d think that rest and rotation in the second half of the season won’t be a factor.
But it’s a tricky opening start for Carrick, with the Red Devils facing the top two in Gameweeks 22 and 23.
With so many unanswered questions, the fixture list has perhaps done Fantasy managers a favour, as it gives us time to assess their set-up and prospects before the schedule starts to improve in Gameweek 24.
In terms of the defence, United are currently ranked 18th for clean sheets, having shut out just two teams all season. Therefore, until we see proof that Carrick has fixed United’s backline, investing in any of their defensive assets feels like an unnecessary risk.
Carrick is at least firmly committed to playing out from the back, which could enhance the appeal of the budget-friendly Ayden Heaven (£3.9m) as an enabler, should he become a regular starter of course.
The more attacking full-backs could also be worth monitoring if Carrick sticks with his Boro system: Giles racked up 11 Championship assists playing in this role in 2022/23.
Further forward, with Carrick looking to promote a more attacking approach, Bruno Fernandes (£9.1m) could play higher up the pitch as a No 10, having mostly operated in the engine room under Amorim. Returning to his natural position closer to goal should get the best out of Fernandes, particularly from an attacking standpoint.
“When games are tight, managers look for someone who can make the difference, someone they trust in big moments. Bruno has that. He affects outcomes.” – Michael Carrick on Bruno Fernandes
Above: Bruno Fernandes’ touch heatmap during his time under Carrick in 2021/22
Could £4.6m midfielder Kobbie Mainoo return to the starting line-up, too?
Carrick has a good reputation when it comes to developing youngsters and discussed Mainoo with former United teammate Rio Ferdinand back in September.
“To have a talent like that, as he’s shown already, you’ve got to have players like that. They get it, they know it, let’s build around them. There’s definitely a place for him there for sure. He’s more of an attacker. I don’t see him as a holding midfielder. He’s that line above where he needs a little bit more freedom. He can defend the higher line but I think that bit deeper, around the centre-backs, that’s a bit of a different thing completely. I see him playing that little bit higher and creating. I think he’s got a massive future. I really like him, he just needs that patience and a little bit of a break again.” – Michael Carrick on Kobbie Mainoo
Elsewhere, Benjamin Sesko (£7.2m), Bryan Mbeumo (£8.1m), Matheus Cunha (£8.2m) and Amad Diallo (£6.2m) are other names to monitor, so it’s all eyes on Saturday’s Manchester derby to see what part they play.
Notably, Carrick has a decent record with getting the best out of his centre-forwards (Chuba Akpom, Emmanuel Latte Lath), suggesting that Sesko might be able to continue his upward momentum, having netted three goals in his previous two matches across all competitions.
