Whatever Amorim’s shortcomings, he did succeed in raising United’s physical standards and overall intensity. However, Carrick’s side may have found this easier to maintain last season when they generally played only once a week.
This term, the team appears incapable of maintaining the energy needed for an effective man-to-man press. In contrast, Fabian Hurzeler’s Brighton look fitter and more unified in deciding when and how to apply pressure.
More troubling for United is the apparent lack of agreement between Fernandes’ interpretation of matches and the instructions coming from the coaching team.
Such a divide makes every defensive system difficult to implement because successful defending depends on commitment, intensity and coordinated movement.
Fernandes believes the team occasionally needs to show greater courage when facing pressure, accepting the risks of pushing higher up the pitch to unsettle opponents.
Yet courage can be interpreted in different ways. Carrick’s choice to defend with four attacking players positioned to launch quick breaks could also be considered extremely bold, though potentially reckless.
Carrick’s partial man-marking strategy, designed to trap opponents in a particular section of the field while others protect spaces zonally, appears to be a reasonable compromise.
Nevertheless, United’s defensive work within the 4-2-4 formation already seems old-fashioned, and opponents are increasingly taking advantage of its weaknesses.
Fernandes and Carrick therefore both have valid arguments, but if United want to produce consistent victories, this season’s answer will probably require a balance between their two perspectives.
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