Michael Carrick only benefited from the tactical expertise that Ruben Amorim lacked at Manchester United after the Brentford win at Old Trafford on Monday evening.
The 44-year-old Manchester United legend might not have overseen a dominant performance from start to finish, but all three points were bagged on the day.
Michael Carrick showed his pragmatic approach to management with his decision to haunt United fans with a throwback to Ruben Amorim’s tactical approach as well.
But Carrick’s pivot on his Man Utd tactics in the second half of the 2-1 victory against Brentford only reinforced the shortcomings of Amorim as the club’s manager.
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Steve Holland’s appointment as Michael Carrick’s right-hand man paid off in abundance with Man Utd’s approach vs Brentford
Manchester United suffered a late scare against Brentford on Monday evening, but the Red Devils looked assured in securing the important win at Old Trafford.
It felt like the exact opposite experience to the reign of former United manager Ruben Amorim, where it felt like a coin toss situation over the final result at times.
Steve Holland was a key appointment for Michael Carrick’s interim head coach reign and the former England assistant manager has been a major part of his success.
Having worked alongside Sir Gareth Southgate for England – and recognised as a key part of the Three Lions’ success – Steve Holland’s influence is felt at United.
Holland is all too familiar with a back three set-up or five-man defence after his dynamic with Sir Gareth Southgate yielded tournament progressions for England.
When it looked like Carrick was rolling the dice with his big call in United’s win over Brentford, the expertise of Holland had already been imprinted on the players.
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Steve Holland’s influence shows what Michael Carrick is benefiting from at Man Utd compared with Ruben Amorim’s system
Steve Holland’s experience with ex-England boss Sir Gareth Southgate is not his only influence over how Man Utd would perform in the second half against Brentford.
The 55-year-old United interim assistant head coach has been widely hailed for his work with the defensive set-up at the Red Devils since Carrick’s return to the club.
Noussair Mazraoui’s introduction in the second half for Amad Diallo was a pivotal moment for Man Utd against Brentford after the Red Devils led the match.
United fans already felt the pain in the 2025-26 Premier League campaign after seeing the Red Devils blow their lead and drop invaluable points under Amorim.
However, Amorim’s tactical limitations at Man Utd and unwillingness to pivot when it was needed arguably played a key role in his downfall at the Red Devils this season.
Holland’s work over the first 12 Premier League matches under Carrick set up the foundation for an eventual rollout of an Amorim-esque approach against Brentford.
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