Michael Carrick has already refused to do controversial thing Ruben Amorim did at Man United

Manchester United will embark on another era under Michael Carrick as the ex-midfielder prepares to takeover at Old Trafford until the end of the season

Michael Carrick is expected to take charge of Manchester United for the remainder of the season, and the former midfielder arrives with a clear objective.

United sacked Ruben Amorim with the club just outside the Champions League places. His exit came a day after his explosive outburst post-Leeds earlier this month, where he demanded more control as a "manager" rather than a "head coach".

Carrick arrives at Old Trafford with United still in the race for a top-five finish, and all his focus will be on the Premier League. Sunday's FA Cup exit at the hands of Brighton & Hove Albion and the Carabao Cup defeat to Grimsby Town mean there is no distraction from domestic cups.

The former Middlesbrough boss, who previously took charge of three games in 2021 after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was sacked, has a history of playing a 4-2-3-1 formation, a system that has been loudly called for to be used at United recently.

Under Amorim, the Portuguese stuck with his 3-4-3 system throughout his tenure, apart from the 1-0 win over Newcastle. However, despite the victory over Eddie Howe's side, Amorim reverted to his three-back system for the visit of Wolves.

It has been reported that Jason Wilcox told Amorim that he was not of the same pedigree as other coaches prior to his sacking. The decision to play more defensively against Wolves, who had just two points at the time, is believed not to have gone down well.

Fortunately for United fans, Carrick has already revealed his attack-minded philosophy. The 44-year-old is understood to have modelled his management style on Sir Alex Ferguson, emphasising attacking, dominant football.

In his autobiography Between the Lines, Carrick explains how he once disagreed with Louis van Gaal's decision to match Sheffield United, of League One, in an FA Cup tie during his playing days.

"I'm not showing any disrespect to Sheffield United when I say this but I cried out for us to play our own game," Carrick wrote.

One player who is expected to benefit from Carrick's arrival is Kobbie Mainoo. The academy graduate only started once this season under Amorim, who remained adamant that he was competing with Bruno Fernandes.

Last year, Carrick revealed in an interview with Rio Ferdinand that Mainoo would be the player he would build his midfield around.

"Yeah (would build around Mainoo). I think for a club to have a player that's come through the academy and knows the club and feels it, I think Man Utd's got to have an element of that," he said.

"They always have done and should always have that. To have a talent that he's shown already, you've got to have player that you can say 'right, they get it, they know it, let's help him, let's build him'. There's definitely a place for him there for sure."

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