Add as preferred source on Google
Manchester United suddenly have a scarcity of left-wingers under Michael Carrick, but his ideal player for that position is already under contract.
The legacy of Ruben Amorim at Man Utd is felt in the way this squad is constructed, something which Michael Carrick is having to navigate.
The injury to Patrick Dorgu intensified a problem that was already present, and even though Matheus Cunha is doing well, Carrick’s ideal left winger needs something different.
Rio Ferdinand thinks that the ideal left winger is already under contract at Man Utd. Bryan Mbeumo’s use as the striker proves as much.
Photo by Matthew Peters/Manchester United via Getty Images YOU are Michael Carrick – Pitch why you should be permanent Man Utd manager to Ineos
Give us your two-line pitch…
Getty Images Marcus Rashford is Michael Carrick’s perfect LW
How realistic it is for Marcus Rashford to play for Man Utd again is another matter, but it’s infinitely more realistic now than it was under Ruben Amorim.
Carrick has worked with Rashford before, and the player had one of his happiest times at Old Trafford when Carrick was in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s coaching staff.
That’s because Carrick’s style of play is perfectly suited to unleash someone of Rashford’s strengths.
He’s a player who likes to run into space, is the occasional threat 1v1, leads transitions by himself, and has the explosive trait to turn a game out of nowhere.
Those are exactly the traits Carrick wants in his forwards, as evidenced by him using Bryan Mbeumo as his No. 9 to stretch defences.
Ferdinand broke down Rashford’s role for England, and what he said perfectly encapsulates Carrick’s ideal winger.
Ferdinand said on his YouTube channel: “Rashford has to run long. Anything to feet, and I’ll bring him off. I don’t want anything to feet. Maybe once or twice a half max. Every time you get the ball, he must run in behind. Inside the full-back, behind the centre-back. Beat your man 1v1.”
Man Utd need to keep their Rashford option open
Rashford’s contract runs until 2028, and with Carrick at the helm, their negotiation position has strengthened immensely.
If Barcelona want to play a game of poker and dare United to blink, they can simply call out their bluff because things have changed at Old Trafford.
£25m for a player of Rashford’s calibre is a steal anyway, but if Barcelona want to take United for a ride, they should simply trust Carrick to reinstate him into the squad.
That is something which was impossible under Amorim, weakening United’s position and ultimately leading to sanctioning a loan on poor terms.
Now that United have a clean slate, they should keep their Rashford option open, if only to scare Barcelona and outplay them in this game of poker.
His on-pitch suitability to Carrick’s setup is already a match made in heaven.
Join Our Newsletter
Receive a digest of our best United content each week direct to your mailbox