Michael Carrick‘s future at Manchester United was called into question earlier this week but he’s hit back at the critics in some style.
That defeat to Leeds was a dismal one, but just five days later, they were beating Chelsea 1-0 at Stamford Bridge thanks to Matheus Cunha’s first-half strike.
It was not a vintage display, but it was a vital three points, not least for Carrick, whose grasp on the job was slipping away, but for the club as a whole, who have boosted their Champions League hopes significantly by defeating one of their rivals for a top five spot.
That said, United still aren’t without their problems. The Red Devils were forced to play Noussair Mazraoui at centre-half while the forward line isn’t quite clicking as expected.
One of the reasons for that is the form of Bryan Mbeumo.
Man United’s Bryan Mbeumo problem
Several players have really elevated their games under the interim tenureship of Carrick. Kobbie Mainoo has stepped out of the rubble of Ruben Amorim’s reign and looks ten times the player he was under the Portuguese. He is surely a shoo-in for the World Cup now.
Bruno Fernandes is, well, doing Bruno Fernandes things and in defence, Harry Maguire has also cemented himself as a key player again. He recently signed a new contract at Old Trafford.
Yet, while Carrick has worked his magic on plenty in the squad, Mbeumo continues to struggle. Why? Well, perhaps it’s the constant switching between positions.
If there is one area that the interim boss needs to work on, it’s in attack where Benjamin Sesko and Mbeumo cannot quite seem to find the consistency required.
Sesko is another who has reaped the rewards of Carrick’s arrival, famously scoring five goals in seven games. However, the young Slovenian is now three matches without one and didn’t exactly play overly well on Saturday. He was replaced with ten minutes to go, having had just one shot and 18 touches.
|
Sesko & Mbeumo vs Chelsea |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Stat |
Sesko |
Mbeumo |
|
Mins played |
80 |
87 |
|
Touches |
18 |
39 |
|
Successful passes |
9/11 (82%) |
18/26 (69%) |
|
Shots |
1 |
0 |
|
Key passes |
0 |
0 |
|
Successful dribbles |
1 |
0 |
|
Duels won |
2/4 |
2/7 |
That said, Mbeumo, his rival for a place as the central striker in this team, is in the middle of an even poorer run of form.
It is as a centre forward that the big-money summer arrival has played most of his football since Carrick re-entered the building but whether it be in that area of the pitch or on the right flank, he is struggling.
The Cameroon international looks a shadow of the player who scored six times in his opening 16 Premier League games of the season and three goals in four appearances after returning from AFCON. At the moment, the winger has not found the net in eight straight games.
It was another goalless game against Chelsea, one in which he managed no shots at goal, completed no dribbles and created no chances. He also completed just 69% of his passes.
So, change is required to Carrick’s frontline when they face Brentford on Monday 27th.
How Man United can replace Mbeumo next week
Mbeumo’s form is perplexing. In the early stages of the campaign, he was carrying this team alongside Fernandes. He was one of very few bright sparks under Amorim.
Yet, with such a frustrating run of form, Carrick must bench him again, as he did for that defeat at Leeds. While the decision did not pay off on that occasion, it’s clear the 26-year-old could benefit from a longer run out of the side.
Should that happen, then United must look towards the best player of the Amorim era; Amad Diallo.
Truth be told, Amad has been rather similar in recent times. Since returning from AFCON, he has failed to find the net or register a single assist.
In fact, the Ivorian has not scored at club level since the 15th December when the Red Devils drew that remarkable game with Bournemouth 4-4. He did not score under Darren Fletcher and is yet to do so under Carrick.
One might argue that he’s becoming something of an Anthony Martial right now. The Frenchman wasn’t a high-profile name by any means when he signed for a big-money fee from AS Monaco back in 2015 for £36m. Likewise, Amad was not at all a big name when he joined from Atalanta for a similar price tag of £37m.
They are cut from a similar cloth; tricky livewire forwards who ultimately struggle with their end product. They also both paid the price for a change of managers.
During his debut season under Louis van Gaal, he enjoyed an Amad under Amorim-type campaign, netting 17 goals in all competitions. Yet, when Jose Mourinho entered the building, the Frenchman suffered, notably criticised for his work-rate by the great Portuguese manager.
While Carrick has not openly criticised Amad, there are clear parallels between the career trajectories of both players.
Amad and Martial were rated highly as youngsters but arguably struggled to kick on. At the age of just 23, there is no point totally writing the winger off just yet, and that’s why he deserves a second chance to prove he can stand in ably for Mbeumo in a week.
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