Carrick’s problem is staring him in the face, two games have proven his trusted lieutenant must be benched | OneFootball

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There was a reason Ruben Amorim was never keen to play Luke Shaw as a left wing-back.

Given his ability on the ball and his knack for overlapping and launching crosses into the box, Shaw should have been a natural fit for the role.

However, Amorim did not fancy deploying him there, preferring instead to use him as a left-sided centre-back rather than a left wing-back.

The Portuguese tactician must have noticed that Shaw was no longer as athletic as he used to be; his legs have gone. As a result, Amorim gave him a role that would not expose that decline.

After Amorim’s sacking, though, Manchester United reverted to their old system, using left-backs instead of wing-backs. Between the new manager bounce, a different tactical approach, and every player’s desire to prove themselves, the whole team looked better. Shaw, at left-back, was no exception.

Yet while United were relying on basics then, Carrick appears to have tweaked his tactics now, and it is hurting his team.

Luke Shaw exposed

Carrick is looking to revive the overlapping left-back role, with the left winger seemingly tucking inside.

That can work, but not with Shaw’s legs gone. Once he overlaps, his inability to recover quickly or track back opponents on the counter leaves United’s left-hand side massively exposed.

In AC Milan’s 4-2 pre-season friendly, it was obvious Amorim asked his players to target the veteran, with their third and fourth goals both coming from doing that.

Against Hull, the left-hand side clearly struggled again, and it was no surprise to hear head coach Sergej Jakirović point out the Shaw factor: “United is coming very high with [left-back] Luke Shaw. Also, they’re trying to overload midfield.”

Surely, then, if Carrick is to stick with this tactical plan, he cannot afford to keep relying on Shaw.

Shaw remains one of his most trusted players, having started every league game since he took over, but it is now clear he might be holding the team back.

Way forward

To play with an overlapping left-back, Carrick needs a genuine athlete, someone with fresher legs.

Patrick Dorgu could clearly be that man, with the stamina to bomb up and down the wing. Harry Amass could do the same, while Noussair Mazraoui has shown for Morocco that it is a role he can play perfectly.

Beyond that, if INEOS are ambitious, they could use the transfer window to sort this issue once and for all, pushing through a left-back signing to help Carrick fix this glaring weakness.