How Man United can cope without Michael Carrick
Manchester United were dealt a massive blow after it was confirmed that Michael Carrick will be out of action for up to six weeks with an Achilles injury.
The midfielder has become a cult figure at Old Trafford in recent seasons with his ball retention and metronomic passing playing a huge role in the Red Devils’ domestic success.
His impact has seen a , with Carrick winning just 31 caps in a 12-year England career.
While his absence for Man United is not good news for the club’s title defence, it should be seen as an opportunity for others to step up and show their mettle.
United boast one of the more impressive squads in the top flight, giving David Moyes numerous choices to the void left by Carrick, but what is his best option?
JONES AND CLEVERLEY
Perhaps the most obvious solution is to use Phil Jones as a midfield anchor, with Tom Cleverley operating beside him as the more creative presence.
Cleverley was frequently used in this position last season under Sir Alex Ferguson, and while David Moyes seems to have lost a degree of faith in him, he is the most capable of the central midfield options available when it comes to ball retention and creativity.
Alongside Carrick, Cleverley has progressed as a footballer and while the jury may still be out on his overall level of performance, he seems to compliment the rough and tumble play of Phil Jones.
David Moyes seemingly hasn’t warmed to Jones in quite the way that Ferguson did, with the more illustrious Scot once suggesting that Jones has all of the raw attributes to be Man United’s next Duncan Edwards.
When he has been called upon, Jones has given a good account of himself, none more so than in the recent 1-0 victory over Arsenal. It was one of the England international’s finest performances in a United shirt and was comparable to the man-of-the-match shift he put in during the 1-1 draw against Real Madrid in the Champions League last season, where his energy and discipline in defensive midfield nullified Madrid’s attacking talents.
A natural centre-back, it is this attribute that makes Jones the ideal candidate to step in during Carrick’s absence. Over the past few seasons, while Carrick has been lauded for his work with the ball, the defensive side of his game and protection he has given the United back four has been arguably as important.
With Jones in the side, this protection would continue and, as he showed during the recent 3-1 victory away to Fulham - in which he featured instead of the injured Carrick - his running in the middle lessened the burden on the likes of Wayne Rooney to drop deeper and help repel attacks.
FELLAINI AND CLEVERLEY
The likeliest solution will be to use Marouane Fellaini as a direct replacement for Michael Carrick.
The Belgian is one of David Moyes’ most trusted lieutenants and while he is yet to fully justify his hefty price-tag, he has a real opportunity to underline that he really is one of the Premier League’s top midfielders.
While his finest form last season came in a more attacking role, Fellaini is also a capable defensive-minded player, operating in this position for much of his career with Everton.
Much like with Jones, he would offer great support to Cleverley, and provide the United defence added protection. One question mark appears to be his effectiveness, however. Jones has shown good form in big matches, while Fellaini has arguably struggled to adjust to Champions League football so far.
At a time when some United fans are still ruing the club’s failures to land the likes of Thiago Alcantara and Cesc Fabregas this summer, the next six weeks will be the perfect barometer to see whether David Moyes will need to open his wallet in January for further reinforcements.
Man United fans, who do you think should step in for Michael Carrick? Comment below…