“Needs to work on…“: Gary Lineker singles out Carrick’s missing piece to making United a truly unstoppable force

Former England striker Gary Lineker has revealed Michael Carrick’s missing piece to making Manchester United into a truly unstoppable side. Fantastic start Carrick has enjoyed a dream start to life at United since he was appointed interim head coach in December following Ruben Amorim’s dismissal. The United legend has taken charge of five Premier League games, winning four and drawing one. This run includes victories over Manchester City, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur. But Carrick’s impact goes beyond the results, which currently have United firmly in the frame to finish within the guaranteed Champions League spots. In a short time, he has instilled a positive, front-foot attacking style of play that has immediately galvanised the supporters. United were in dreamland until West Ham delivered a slight reality check earlier this week. The Hammers sat deep in a low block, aiming to frustrate the Red Devils and disrupt their ability to find spaces in the final third. West Ham took the lead shortly after the break and it looked like Carrick and his players were headed for a first defeat, until substitute Benjamin Sesko rescued a point for the team in stoppage time with a sensational finish. After the final whistle, Carrick was full of praise for his players’ resilience in scraping out something during a difficult outing. Speaking on The Rest is Football podcast, Lineker argued that for United to evolve into a dominant force, Carrick must address the team’s struggles against deep-lying defences and develop a more effective way to unlock them. Lineker makes point Lineker said, “On the football side, obviously, Michael Carrick, they’re doing okay, considering where they were a few weeks ago. And they’ve climbed the table. They’re in the Champions League spot as we speak.” “We did say, didn’t we, that so far, even the Fulham game that they’ve played in, Fulham tend not to play in a particularly low block.” He added, “This was the first time they played against a team in a low block and had, I think, 60 odd per cent possession.” “And they didn’t win this game. So, I think that’s something that Michael Carrick probably needs to work on. We know it’s difficult against teams with a low block, but that was generally, they’ve done better against the good teams.” United are next in action on February 23 when they go away to Everton. Featured image James Fearn via Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Derick Kinoti Derick Kinoti is a football writer at The Peoples Person who has covered Manchester United and the Premier League extensively for years. His work blends sharp analysis, tactical insight, and engaging storytelling that resonates with fans around the world. Derick has gained valuable experience in football journalism, developing strong expertise in SEO writing, digital content creation, and social media engagement. A tech enthusiast with a Computer Science degree from the University of Nairobi, he ultimately swapped code for football commentary, bringing an analytical, detail-oriented approach to his writing. Derick is convinced Wayne Rooney is the true GOAT and won’t hear otherwise!