Michael Carrick is now seeing the real benefits of one key Manchester United first-team player compared to Ruben Amorim’s limited tactical approach.
The 44-year-old Manchester United legend has already collected six Premier League points in six against Premier League heavyweights Arsenal and Manchester City.
After wins vs City and Arsenal… should Michael Carrick get the Man Utd permanent job?
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Michael Carrick has kicked off his Red Devils reign with a sensational 2-0 win over Manchester City at Old Trafford before the stunning 3-2 victory over Arsenal.
The Man Utd interim head coach, who returned to the Premier League club earlier this month, is currently on cloud nine after a dream start to his Red Devils spell.
Carrick oversaw a superb performance at the Emirates, where one creative United star was able to show his true potential when he was used correctly on the pitch.
Michael Owen’s point about Matheus Cunha shows exactly what Man Utd interim boss Michael Carrick has at his disposal
Matheus Cunha came off the bench in the second half of Manchester United’s 3-2 win over Arsenal and ensured the Red Devils collected three Premier League points.
Kobbie Mainoo played the ball to Matheus Cunha and the former Wolves ace took advantage of the space around him before pulling off a stunning long-range effort.
Cunha’s strike was flawlessly executed and David Raya had little hope of denying the 26-year-old Brazil international from finding the back of the net for the Red Devils.
Matheus Cunha is the man of the moment… what should his best position be in United’s starting XI?
Speaking after United’s win against Arsenal, Michael Owen insisted Cunha’s winner showed why he is “one of the most dangerous players” in that position on the pitch.
“As soon as he picked the ball up, first touch, I said ‘goal’… he’s just got amazing power, accuracy, he knows how to set himself,” he said, as per the Metro.
“He’s calm in that situation and he uses a man to bend the ball around.
“This is one of the most dangerous players in the Premier League in this type of area and I just thought, ‘This is a huge chance,’ and bang, back of the net before you could blink.”
Michael Carrick needs the Gary O’Neil blueprint for Matheus Cunha rather than the Ruben Amorim approach
Matheus Cunha was a key player for Ruben Amorim after Man Utd splashed out last summer to bring the Brazil and Red Devils attacker to Old Trafford from Wolves.
However, United fans have still been waiting to see the full potential of the Brazilian forward, who was in scintillating form at the Molineux in the 2024-25 campaign.
Matheus Cunha had Man Utd dancing at The Emirates again 🕺
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Former Wolves boss Gary O’Neil played a key role in managing Cunha in the past at the Molineux and was not afraid to tap into the United ace’s attacking versatility.
Speaking to the Coaches’ Voice in 2025, Gary O’Neil broke down Wolves’ 4-2 win over Chelsea in 2024, which featured a hat-trick winning performance from Cunha.
Cunha was deployed as a No 10 in the Stamford Bridge clash and O’Neil talked up the importance of getting the player into a strategic shooting position from distance.
O’Neil’s approach with Cunha and using players like Pedro Neto and Joao Gomes to unlock space for the ex-Wolves man to be in his “favourite part of the pitch” is essential for Carrick to examine further.
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