The tactical play Carrick must nail for United to challenge properly again | OneFootball

Looking at the 2025–26 Premier League table, champions Arsenal scored 71 goals and conceded just 27.

Manchester City, who came second, scored 77 goals and conceded 35. Manchester United, meanwhile, finished third, scoring 69 goals but conceding 50.

Looking at those numbers, it becomes painfully clear what truly held United back last season: they were conceding far too many goals.

The Red Devils scored plenty but finished with only a +19 goal difference. Arsenal scored just two more goals than United, yet boasted a +44 goal difference. That gulf tells the whole story.

Premier League top three 2025-26

Arsenal’s defence won them the league

It is so obvious. Not the attack, but the defensive side of the game was the defining difference between the Manchester Reds and the champions. Had United conceded fewer goals, they would arguably have had a far better chance of battling Arsenal for the title.

That said, Arsenal are arguably the best defensive unit in the league, genuinely hard to penetrate. They got to where they are by making shrewd defensive signings and recruiting a brilliant goalkeeper: David Raya, who has claimed the last three Golden Gloves.

In Senne Lammens, The 20-time English champions have a fantastic goalkeeper who is arguably on Raya’s level, if not better. Yet while this squad could clearly benefit from defensive reinforcements, that does not appear to be under consideration. If it were, INEOS would not have allowed defensive target Marcos Senesi to join Tottenham Hotspur on a free transfer.

Michael Carrick, therefore, will have to work with the defenders at his disposal. In Matthijs de Ligt, Harry Maguire, Lisandro Martínez, and Ayden Heaven, he has decent options to build from.

United were dreadful on set pieces, but worked diligently on that area and ultimately became the second-most dangerous side from dead-ball situations last term. That same focus can now be directed at their defensive shape.

Extra focus on Manchester United’s defensive play could change everything

Steve Holland and Jonathan Woodgate were brought in as Carrick’s assistants specifically to help sort out Manchester United’s defensive structure. Their task is to analyse what United were getting wrong and act on it decisively.

They must ensure the team’s shape out of possession is compact; opponents cannot run through them or break them down with ease. Equally, they must manage squad rotation sensibly to avoid injuries while ensuring opportunities are handed to those who have earned them. For example, Heaven, who has repeatedly proven he is too good to be warming the bench, needs to be given his chance.

There also needs to be smarter player profiling to identify which pairings complement each other and commit to the strongest partnership; something reminiscent of Nemanja Vidić and Rio Ferdinand would bring the stability this backline desperately craves. Constantly changing partners kills chemistry, structure, and consistency at the back.

Midfield rebuild could come in handy

With the right six in place, the relationship between midfield and defence must also be carefully cultivated. The defensive midfielder and the centre-backs need to be on the same wavelength, working in tandem to keep United’s defensive block solid.

A successful midfield rebuild should considerably relieve pressure on the backline, making it far harder for opponents to exploit them.

Additionally, more work is needed on playing out from the back. At times last season, Lammens visibly struggled in that department, and opponents ruthlessly punished him for it.

Score more, concede less

Ultimately, it does not help when the attack is firing on all cylinders, yet the defence remains porous. If United can concede fewer goals while sustaining that goalscoring form, this team will be in a far stronger position to go toe-to-toe with Arsenal for league glory.

Featured image George Wood via Getty Images

online polls

The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social