Manchester United are contemplating the possibility of extending Michael Carrick’s stay at the club – according to the reports from Dailystar. The veteran signed a one-year extension in the summer. With his contract expiring in the coming summer, speculation has once again begun about the player’s future. Carrick has increasingly been linked with a move away from United after not featuring regularly under Jose Mourinho. The Portuguese has used Carrick in only two league matches with one of them coming as a late substitute.
It is clear that Carrick is not the way forward for United, but several United legends have been backing the inclusion of the former Tottenham midfielder since he provides stability to a midfield lacking cohesion. Since the start of the season, Mourinho has experimented with several midfield combinations but none of them have managed to click for United. They have looked reasonably good whenever Carrick has been on the pitch.
The England midfielder has been at United for a decade now. After having learned from some of the best in the business like Paul Scholes, he now plays the role of an orchestrator while also managing to break up play. His impact has been so profound that even Scholes says that Carrick would be the perfect midfielder for United right now. He recommends Jose Mourinho should use Carrick along with Ander Herrera in order to see an improvement in results. As of now, Ander Herrera has been partnered with Marouane Fellaini and sometimes, with Paul Pogba in deeper midfield.
Scholes’ words seemed to have a major impact, as Carrick was restored to Manchester United’s first team in a league weekend for the first time this season. He had previously made only one substitute appearance – against Leicester City – in the season. United’s performance showed a remarkable improvement and the team managed a comfortable 3-1 win over Swansea City. Admittedly, the opposition have been struggling against poor form since the start of the season and it recently led to the appointment of Bob Bradley as their new manager.
Even then, Manchester United would be happy with almost every player on the pitch. Wayne Rooney had a hand in all three goals while Pogba scored with a brilliant volley. Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who had not scored since September, managed to get a brace including writing himself in the history as having scored the 25,000th Premier League goal. Carrick was partnered alongside Fellaini, and was at his orchestrating best.
Carrick had 7.1% possession – almost double that of Fellaini – and had a passing accuracy of 95%. He may not be able to play in every game, but it is clear that Jose Mourinho now recognised the importance of the veteran. It is highly probable that a deal could be announced before January.
