Michael Carrick’s first match as the official Manchester United head coach resulted in a dominant victory.
Earlier this week, Manchester United confirmed Michael Carrick’s appointment as head coach after his successful interim stint.
What followed was a dominant 3-0 victory over Brighton in the final Premier League match of the season. Michael Carrick now has 12 wins in his 17 matches in charge of the Red Devils in 2025/26.
Carrick hinted at rotation before facing Brighton, and the confirmed line-up against Brighton did raise some eyebrows. One experiment involving Mason Mount went exactly to plan.
🔴⚪️⚫️Sum up the 2025/26 season for Manchester United…
A fourth highest points tally since Sir Alex Ferguson retired!⚡️
Mason Mount thrives in Michael Carrick experiment
It was confirmed that Casemiro wouldn’t play vs Brighton after his Old Trafford farewell the week before.
United will overhaul their midfield this summer, but against Brighton, Carrick experimented with Mount as the partner to Kobbie Mainoo.
Mount thrived against Nottingham Forest as a substitute in central midfield, and he once again impressed in that position against Brighton.
- 74 minutes played
- 58 touches
- 86% pass completion (37/43)
- 1 key pass
- 6 defensive contributions
- 7/8 ground duels won
Mount was an all-action midfielder, but continued to be a creative outlet with one key pass and an 85% passing accuracy in the opposition half.
Defensively, Mount covered ground well and dominated duels, winning seven out of the eight he contested. He was eventually replaced by Tyler Fletcher for the final 15 minutes.
PICK your MAN OF THE MATCH for Manchester United vs Brighton!
Some impressive performances in a dominant victory…
Mason Mount might get shot at Man Utd redemption
No one can deny that Mount has been underwhelming at United since his move from Chelsea, and patience is running thin.
United fans are open to selling Mount after his injury problems and inconsistency, but he has shown glimpses of promise when fit.
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Carrick is a big admirer of Mount, and if he can be a midfield solution for the Red Devils then it could finally give him a position to compete for.
Mount has been behind Bruno Fernandes in the pecking order at United, and the Portuguese playmaker is guaranteed to start every match. In midfield, Mount has a better chance of seeing regular minutes in 2026/27.
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