Manchester United's new manager Carrick's tactical system unveiled! Inspired by F1 strategies, possibly using a strikerless formation against Manchester City

Thanks to an impressive interview, 44-year-old Michael Carrick surpassed the favorite Solskjaer and was appointed as Manchester United’s interim head coach for the remainder of the season. His first two matches are challenging: a home game against Manchester City and an away match at Arsenal.

Compared to Solskjaer’s team, which emphasized playing without regard to pay, contracts, or benefits, Carrick’s approach is seen as more pragmatic, much like his playing days—a seemingly invisible but quietly effective midfield engine.

Carrick’s social media reflects his personality and traits as both a player and coach, focusing mainly on Manchester United, charity, horseback riding, inspiring the next generation, and Formula 1 racing.

Former Red Devils coach Paul McGuinness revealed that Carrick’s UEFA coaching license thesis was a study of Formula 1 tactics. The thesis included interviews with Mark Webber and Daniel Ricciardo, two former Red Bull drivers who together stood on the podium 74 times.

The English FA does not support public release of coaching theses, so how Carrick connects F1 with football remains unknown. However, it’s clear that both sports require core elements like strong mental resilience to face and overcome challenges, as well as keen focus and concentration to notice details.

Whether in football or racing, a key skill is finding or creating space and exploiting it, which is crucial to beating opponents. An important part involves developing high-level skills and mentality to capitalize on opponents' weaknesses and turn tight spaces into significant advantages.

The cat-and-mouse strategy, often linked to Formula 1, mainly refers to the tactical battles between teams and the FIA over regulations, as well as the psychological duels among drivers on the track. This tactic is also frequently applied in football, meaning: stay calm and endure pressure during intense moments.

According to Carrick, his favorite moment in F1 history is the 2011 Canadian Grand Prix, where British driver Jenson Button, initially trailing, staged a dramatic comeback on the final lap to celebrate on the top podium with champagne.

During his playing days at Manchester United, Carrick was sometimes mocked as "invisible Carrick," but he was a wise, composed master of rhythm control—very un-English in style. This put him at a disadvantage compared to contemporaries like Gerrard and Lampard, limiting his national team opportunities, much like his predecessor and teammate Scholes. Sir Alex Ferguson described Carrick as "a quiet guy whose lifestyle is similar to Scholes."

Teammate Gary Neville compared Carrick to a piano, bringing control and calmness to the team, contrasting with Scholes’ "rock music" style. Neville praised Carrick’s intelligence, vision, and ability to control the tempo, calling him Manchester United’s unsung midfield hero, like a piano in a bar creating a relaxed and elegant atmosphere.

As a coach, Carrick’s early acclaim largely stems from how he uses his personality to unlock players’ potential. Former Middlesbrough player Caolan Boyd-Munce said, "Everything he does and says simplifies things to be very easy to understand."

Many stars excel on the pitch but fail to translate that ability into coaching because they cannot simplify extraordinary details unnoticed by ordinary players. Carrick seems to be an exception. A video of him instructing players on the training ground has gained notable attention on social media.

Former Manchester United midfielder Fred, who has been coached by Carrick, said, "He is someone who understands the game and has experienced it firsthand; no one is better suited to help me."

Carrick’s teams usually defend in a balanced 4-2-3-1 formation and switch to a 3-2-5 shape when attacking. During transitions, typically one fullback, usually the left-back, pushes forward to join the attack while the other drops back to form a back three.

This might explain why Manchester United currently values him; it’s well-known Ruben Amorim employed a three-center-back system for a year and a half at the Red Devils, and Carrick’s style could serve as a bridge. He also has experience because the previous Middlesbrough coach he succeeded used a three-center-back formation.

When attacking, Carrick’s team has the striker drop back to create running space for the attacking midfielder; one winger stays wide to stretch the attack, while the other cuts inside to create numerical superiority in the center and to open crossing space for the overlapping fullback, aiming to deliver the ball into dense pockets inside the box. These patterns seem well suited to the current squad’s characteristics.

Carrick’s five-player attacking setup during possession can both stretch gaps between opposing defenders and force them into dilemmas about whether to drop deeper or mark man-to-man, thereby creating further defensive gaps.

Effectively using the width of the flanks is a key element of Carrick’s football, but the essence goes beyond that. Quick counterattacks and players’ positional awareness at different stages of the game played a crucial role in Carrick’s first full season coaching Middlesbrough. That year, Middlesbrough reached the League Cup semifinals, even upsetting Chelsea in the first leg, though they lost heavily in the second.

Before joining Middlesbrough, Carrick served as interim coach between Solskjaer and Rangnick, achieving wins over Villarreal (2-0), Arsenal (3-2), and a draw with Chelsea (1-1) in three matches. Many regretted that he was replaced by Rangnick before fully showcasing his abilities. Now, he might have a chance to revive those dreams.

Carrick’s victory over Arteta’s Arsenal showed that his coaching style has taken shape and aligns with the philosophy he later developed. In that match, after conceding, Manchester United pressed high and closely marked Takehiro Tomiyasu and Ben White, disrupting Arsenal’s defense.

One major issue Solskjaer couldn’t solve before his departure was how to maintain balance in high pressing with Ronaldo back. Ronaldo’s age limits his running capacity, and younger teammates were reluctant to run more. Carrick’s solution targeted Arsenal’s right flank: Ronaldo drifted left to draw out right center-back White, Sancho cut inside, left-back Telles overlapped to provide crosses, and Fred positioned near the box to create a numerical advantage centrally. Ultimately, this tactic earned Bruno Fernandes a decisive penalty.

After leaving Manchester United for Middlesbrough, Carrick faced another challenge at the Riverside Stadium. His predecessor, Chris Wilder, also used a 3-5-2 formation, but the team conceded too many goals and struggled to convert chances—problems similar to those currently at Manchester United.

When Carrick took over, Middlesbrough was in the relegation zone and struggling, having lost 7 of 16 league matches. He turned things around, leading the team to the Championship playoff semifinals, though they lost to Coventry. He also developed players like Chuba Akpom, who was undervalued under Wilder but became a top Championship scorer under Carrick, netting a career-best 29 goals playing as a false nine, setting a Middlesbrough striker record since 1990.

The following year, Middlesbrough lost Akpom and Cameron Archer, who scored 11 goals. The team started poorly with seven matches without a win. However, Carrick retained support from the club’s hierarchy, and his team improved significantly, achieving notable wins such as 1-0 against eventual champions Leicester City and 1-0 over Chelsea in the League Cup.

Disappointingly, despite losing only once in the final 12 matches, the team finished 7th, missing out on the playoffs. The following season saw further decline with a 10th place league finish, ultimately leading to Carrick’s dismissal.

Former Middlesbrough midfielder Neil Maddison believes Carrick’s weakness is his inability to quickly adapt the team’s playing style during matches and a lack of a Plan B. "Carrick clearly lacks tactical awareness; he tends to react passively rather than take initiative. He almost never changes formations, and substitutions usually don’t alter positions. I think pairing him with a tactically savvy assistant coach would benefit him greatly."

So, with only three days to prepare, how will Carrick face Guardiola’s Manchester City? The English media outlet The Sun predicts that Manchester United will deploy a strikerless formation.

Given Amad Diallo’s form representing Ivory Coast at the Africa Cup of Nations and his past excellent performances against Manchester City, scoring three goals, the €40 million Manchester United player is expected to start as the right winger.

This will force Manchester United’s top scorer this season, Mbeumo, who has scored six goals, to change position. For this match, Mbeumo is better suited to play centrally, with Cunha on the left wing, and Shesko will likely remain on the bench.

From a tactical perspective, the one-on-one strength of Amad, Mbeumo, and Cunha allows them to launch flexible counterattacks directly against Manchester City’s defense. The "Citizens" usually push five or six players forward, leaving exploitable gaps behind. In a match between Brighton and Manchester City, coach Fabian Hürzeler used a similar tactic against Guardiola with notable success.

Bruno Fernandes will return to the number 10 role, replicating Akpom’s role at Middlesbrough.

Besides offense, Carrick must also address Manchester United’s defensive issues. Diogo Dalot and Luke Shaw or Patrick Dogu will compete for the starting fullback spots. They face a huge challenge in limiting the impact of Manchester City’s new signing Antoine Semenyo, who has scored in consecutive matches.