Lineker lauds ‘absolutely outstanding’ Man Utd man after Carrick played to his strengths vs City – it paid off big time

Gary Lineker, like everyone else who witnessed the full 90 minutes, was amazed at Manchester United’s performance on Saturday afternoon.The Red Devils overturned arch-rivals Manchester City 2-0 on home soil to go within a point of the top four.United actually had the ball in the back of the net five times in total, but were made to settle for a 2-0 win due to VAR intervention.Michael Carrick kickstarts interim United tenure in dream fashion(Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)Ultimately, Michael Carrick, his players and the fans won’t care. Securing maximum points against the Blues looked a mammoth task ahead of kick-off, yet United appeared to do so with ease.Carrick’s game plan was executed absolutely perfectly from minute one through to 90 –  even his substitutions proved impactful in the way he’d have wanted them to off the bench; the likes of Mason Mount and Matheus Cunha helped the team get over the line, with the former seeing a late, well-worked goal chalked off.You’d be forgiven for pondering whether Erling Haaland even started the game he did so little, while the likes of Phil Foden, Jeremy Doku and, eventually, Rayan Cherki, were simply no match for United’s formidable backline.What Lineker had to say about United vs City(Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)Reacting to the display and the tactical changes Carrick made, Lineker told The Rest Is Football panel: “He brought in Kobbie Mainoo, who came in and looked comfortable in midfield, and he hasn’t started since August, so I think it was a mixture of different things.“Also, putting Bruno Fernandes slightly further forward… Bruno is absolutely outstanding, and it just looked more like a fit.”“I know he’s been away on Africa Cup of Nations duty, but Amad [Diallo] on the right – but not playing as a wing-back,” Lineker continued.“I mean, players that suit their positions, and they just looked more comfortable in their roles, and with that comes energy, and with that comes an enthusiasm and a belief. They’ve got to keep that. Maintain that.”