Manchester United has recorded two draws and one defeat in their last three league matches and was eliminated from the League Cup after Brighton mounted a comeback. According to The Athletic, the problems facing Carrick and Solskjaer at Manchester United are strikingly similar: a lack of clear playing style and no Plan B.

Since Carrick's appointment as Manchester United's interim manager in January, comparisons with a former manager have been inevitable.

Seven years earlier, Solskjaer had similarly taken charge of the team as interim manager. Manchester United again turned to a respected former player from the Ferguson era to lead the team, aiming to boost morale and stabilize the situation.

Like Solskjaer, Carrick's interim appointment was made permanent after several months in which he improved results and lifted the gloom around the team. Now, similar to Solskjaer's position at the start of the 2021/22 season, the team's performance has stalled, and there is criticism that the club is clinging to a manager out of sentiment—one who cannot take the team to the next level.

But is it fair to view Carrick as "Solskjaer 2.0"? Do the similarities in their managerial careers suggest their tenures at Manchester United will ultimately end the same way?

The similarities between the two are striking. Both have expressed a desire for the team to play fast counter-attacking football, evoking nostalgia for the great Manchester United sides they once played for. Their brilliant playing careers, combined with their understanding of the club, helped them lift morale during difficult times, both among the fans and in the dressing room.

Carrick said in a club media interview in January: "I hope we can play very entertaining football, be aggressive, unleash creativity and ignite passion on the pitch. I want to be thrilled watching from the sideline."

This can be compared with Solskjaer's remarks in a 2020 Athletic interview, in which he discussed his team-building philosophy: "Of course, we look back at the entire history of Manchester United. We are an attacking team and must rely on quick players to play fast counter-attacks."

Another similarity is their reluctance to publicly criticize players, and both have been praised for player development during their tenures. Carrick's development of Mainoo is one example; under Solskjaer's leadership, Pogba's form also improved significantly. Many of these qualities made them popular with fans, but Carrick's dilemma is that he now receives not only the praise Solskjaer once enjoyed, but also the exact same criticisms.

The main criticism is that this Manchester United team lacks a defined "style" and relies too heavily on counter-attacks. This view is not without merit. Data shows that after Solskjaer took over from Mourinho in December 2018, the frequency of fast counter-attacks at Manchester United steadily increased; this metric rose again after Carrick took over mid-season last year.

Mbeumo's goal in Carrick's first match against Manchester City was a perfect example of this counter-attacking style. When the two teams met again a few weeks later, however, the situation was completely different: facing an opponent defending with ten men in a compact formation, Manchester United struggled to take the initiative in attack. This exposed the exact weaknesses of this tactical system: the lack of a reliable Plan B, which was also a major problem for Solskjaer.

However, the view that the Norwegian manager completely lacked tactical flexibility and acumen is too one-sided. Solskjaer had several matches where his targeted tactical setups were highly effective, such as the 6-2 win over Leeds United in December 2020, where his tactics successfully dismantled Bielsa's man-marking system. He also employed a three-at-the-back formation with wing-backs to enhance the team's offensive and defensive transition threat, a strategy that worked against opponents like Manchester City, Chelsea, and Liverpool.

However, once opponents compressed the space and cut off Manchester United's counter-attacking routes, Solskjaer struggled to find a solution. The 2020/21 Europa League final was a typical example: Manchester United had most of the possession but could not break down Emery's Villarreal; the match ended 1-1 and ultimately in a penalty shootout loss. The entire match was a grueling affair.

After months of observation, Carrick's Manchester United is sharp in transition, but once opponents compress the space, the team's attack stalls. Opponents have also recognized this pattern, and the old problems Solskjaer faced are now reappearing with Carrick. Last week's League Cup match, in which Brighton set up a five-man defensive line at Old Trafford and ultimately won, is a textbook example.

The similarities don't end there. Manchester United's high pressing has been ineffective this season and has exposed defensive weaknesses. Solskjaer faced the same problem. Of course, the situations are not entirely identical: during Solskjaer's tenure, the core issue was that striker Cristiano Ronaldo did not fit the high-pressing system; under Carrick, the problem occurs more frequently in defense without the ball, where the flanks are vulnerable to being exposed.

It is worth noting that they are not the only two who failed to implement an effective pressing system at Manchester United: when Ten Hag attempted to implement high-intensity pressing, it also resulted in defensive vulnerabilities.

Carrick was a key member of Solskjaer's coaching staff, so it is unsurprising that their managerial philosophies align closely and that the former English midfielder faces similar difficulties his former boss once encountered. But as some commentators suggest, this does not mean Carrick is destined to fail.

Is promoting counter-attacking football inherently wrong? Counter-attacks cannot be the team's only weapon, but the argument that "only possession-based football is the right way" is equally contentious.

As the table above shows, the average possession of Premier League champions in the last two seasons has decreased significantly. Compared to Solskjaer's time at Manchester United, fast counter-attacks are more prevalent in the Premier League today. In the top leagues, there is still room for counter-attacking football, and it is even more valued than it was during Solskjaer's era. The players under Carrick have proven their ability to create lethal threats through counter-attacks.

There is nothing wrong with incorporating counter-attacks into the tactical system; the real concern is the lack of alternative solutions when opponents cut off the counter-attacking routes. Solskjaer struggled to find a way out of this dilemma, but that does not mean Carrick will repeat the same mistakes.

Carrick has several tools at his disposal that could help address the problem of dealing with compact defensive formations. Mainoo's ability to play penetrating passes continues to improve; summer signing Baleba, who is now recovering from injury, will return to midfield after the international break, relieving pressure on Mainoo so he can focus more on creative and organizational tasks. The flexibility and movement of Carrick's forwards suggests the team has players who can switch positions and execute complex passing and movement combinations—enough to create space against compact defenses.

Manchester United's performance at the start of this season has been heavily criticized, and this criticism is justified; the comparison of Carrick's current predicament with Solskjaer's earlier difficulties is also valid. But to hastily conclude that the current manager has no chance of finding a solution would be premature.

So far, Carrick's managerial career at Manchester United has, perhaps inevitably, closely mirrored that of his former teammate and boss. He deserves the opportunity to prove that he possesses sufficient tactical acumen to overcome the challenges that ultimately led to Solskjaer's downfall.

Übersetzt von KI.

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