United could sneak into second place with this subtle tactical change – opinion

Some attribute Manchester United’s rise up the table under Michael Carrick’s leadership to the formation change from Ruben Amorim’s era and while that’s not the only thing that made a difference, it certainly helped. So why not do it again? It might be playing with fire here – after all, we all know the expression “if it aint broke, don’t fix it” – but there is a logical argument for another tweak. United have settled after their strong start with Carrick – they are still picking up points and churning out results, but it hasn’t been hugely slick or solid at either end of the pitch. That’s to be expected under an interim manager who took over in January but still, let’s aim for the stars shall we? Switching to a 4-3-3 makes far more sense than any other formation we could deploy at the minute and this has been true for some time. Bruno Fernandes redeployed Sme people might want this writer’ head on a spike for seemingly suggesting Bruno Fernandes drops from his number 10 spot but there are several pros to the formation switch. First, the Red Devils’ midfield has long been a mismatch of profiles that has often resulted in their engine room being the easiest to slice through. Carrick has solidified things a little but they are probably still shipping more goals than they should. A 4-3-3 allows our mismatch of profiles to better gel without asking them to carry out responsibilities they’re unable to fulfil. Just about every United fan would agree that their best midfield three is Bruno, Kobbie Mainoo and Casemiro. In the current 4-2-3-1, you’re asking the latter two to be the ball progressors and it’s clearly neither of their strong suits. Casemiro has always been a ball-winning midfielder while Mainoo breaks lines through carrying, not passing. A 4-3-3 means Casemiro’s legs are protected as his sole task will be sitting in front of the back four and destroying any opponent who’s coming his way. Mainoo can finally be freed of defensive and progressive responsibilities and simply be the ‘catch-me-if-you-can’ carrier he’s always been. And Bruno can just be Bruno. No defending, just be the playmaker you are with the added protection behind you. He already plays in a three for Portugal so it’ll hardly be a completely new thing to introduce to him. An opening for Big Ben Now when Amad, Mateheus Cunha, or Bryan Mbeumo drift inside, they won’t be drifting into Bruno’s space or awkwardly bumping into each other. Carrick’s had to keep the unstoppable force that is Benjamin Sesko on the bench just to get the right profile of attackers on the pitch so the attacks can be more fluid. The 4-3-3 should better support them all, all the while protecting United’s seemingly soft defence that has been chopped and changed with Matthijs De Ligt and Lisandro Martinez dropping out for Harry Maguire and Leny Yoro. It’s hard to see what the downside is and it should set the team up for success for the long-term, regardless of which manager comes in next. Carrick has got a B+ so far, but with this reshuffle, there’s every reason to believe he could get an A*. 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