Manchester United transfer news: Jose Mourinho needs to keep hold of Michael Carrick for these reasons…
Football Whispers takes a look at why the veteran England midfielder is such an important cog in the Old Trafford machine
When Jose Mourinho took charge of Manchester United in June it wasn’t entirely clear what would become of Michael Carrick, but the long-serving midfielder has since been a vital part of the Red Devils’ resurgence.
The 35-year- old’s contract was set to expire over the summer and, for a short while at least, the silence over whether he would renew with the club spoke volumes.
Speculation over the former Tottenham Hotspur player’s future began to gather speed, with the Mirror reporting that Arsenal and Everton were willing to re-home the veteran midfield anchor should a contract extension at Old Trafford not materialise.
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But a one-year deal was soon slapped on the table and signed; Carrick’s United career would enter its 11th season.
Yet in the opening months of the Premier League campaign he was largely unused.
Mourinho insisted that a player of Carrick’s age could not play two games every week — despite the fact that Zlatan Ibrahimovic, 35, was playing virtually every minute — and saved the 34-cap England man predominantly for League Cup and Europa League fixtures.
Instead, the likes of Marouane Fellaini and Ander Herrera were preferred in Carrick’s specialist role, with record signing Paul Pogba struggling to impact games due to the added defensive cover he was required to offer.
After United were beaten 4-0 by Chelsea and slipped to a disappointed 0-0 draw with Burnley in October, a change was needed, and Carrick started the next league game against Swansea.
The Red Devils won 3-1, and have won seven and drawn two of their nine Premier League outings since. Carrick has started eight of them.
The composure and experience that he brings to the United midfield has allowed Pogba and Herrera to shine alongside him. Carrick’s defensive awareness, nous and calmness in and out of possession is at the heart of the Old Trafford club’s recent turnaround, and his team-mates are the main beneficiaries.
With a 90 percent pass completion rate — bettered only by Juan Mata (91 percent) within the entire United squad — Carrick’s assured nature on the ball and his ability to consistently pick out a red shirt is invaluable.
He also has a better success rate in duels (60 percent) than any other midfielder at Mourinho’s disposal, showing that he is more than capable of getting stuck in and exert a degree of physicality — something for which he rarely gets credit.
Of the 11 Premier League games United have played without Carrick in the starting XI, they have drawn four and lost three. In their nine games with him in the team, they are unbeaten, winning seven and drawing two.
He may still be unable to play two or three games a week, and the busy post-Christmas period saw him rested for United’s 2-1 win over Middlesbrough at Old Trafford on New Year’s Eve.
But, two days later, all rested up, Carrick was back in the side to face West Ham United at the London Stadium.
He played a key part in the Red Devil’s 2-0 victory, filling in at centre-back and picking out Marcus Rashford with a trademark raking, 40-yard pass in the build up to Mata’s opener.
Things may be looking up for United at the moment, but Mourinho will be under no illusions about the amount of work that lies ahead of him as he looks to restore 20-time champions back to their former glory.
Chief among the ex-Chelsea manager’s tasks over the next 18 months or so is finding an adequate long-term replacement for Carrick.
Despite his advancing years, the former West Ham midfielder has shown that he can still be relied upon at the highest level.
However, a succession plan needs to be put in place if United are to avoid similar results without Carrick as they suffered at the start of this season.
As for the player himself, with six months to run on his current contract, speculation over Carrick’s future will soon begin to ramp up again.
Mourinho would be wise to tie him down for at least another season.