Ruben Amorim might be wondering what’s going on after seeing Michael Carrick turn things around, and Gary Neville believes he has a good idea.
Carrick hasn’t had any new signings to work with, yet he’s made the most of what was already there. Wins against Man City and Arsenal set the tone, and a narrow 1-0 victory over Everton extended that unbeaten run to six matches.
As Carrick continues to add unexpected chapters to a season many had written off after Amorim’s dismissal, Neville believes the impact could reach beyond just the pitch.
Gary Neville weighs in on Amorim’s view of United
There’s some debate over how much of the credit should go to Ruben Amorim, but even his most loyal backers have to admit they didn’t see this coming from Michael Carrick.
The team is playing with far more purpose now than during Amorim’s time in charge. Even if it’s still early days, six matches under Carrick already feel different.
One of the biggest issues was Amorim’s tactical rigidity and reluctance to make changes. That reputation stuck with him throughout his time at the club.
He once famously said that not even the Pope could convince him to change formation. But Neville thinks this run might force him to reconsider that stance.
He told Sky Sports’ Gary Neville Podcast: “Ruben Amorim must be sitting there at home watching Manchester United. I mean, I don’t think he’s a guy that will sit there and think that, you know, I can’t believe this is happening. I think he’ll be, you know, he’s worked with a lot of these players and a lot of the staff.
“I think he might be sitting there thinking, ‘what will I do differently in the future when I’m in that same position again when I get another job, and maybe I am sort of being a little bit stubborn and not quite making the changes that the players want.”
Why Amorim’s path is unlikely to change
Neville’s point about learning from the experience sounds reasonable enough, but if Amorim couldn’t adapt when things were falling apart in front of him, it’s hard to see him changing because someone else fixed it.
He built his reputation on sticking to his principles, not bending under pressure. Six games without a loss isn’t likely to shift that mindset.
But the better Carrick does, the more it highlights what went wrong under Amorim. That comparison won’t do his reputation at Old Trafford any favours.
Clubs looking at him in the future will want to know if he’s learned anything about flexibility. It’ll be one of the first things he’s asked about in any interview now.
If Neville is right and Amorim becomes more adaptable, then he could only benefit from it. But based on how he’s handled things so far, that’s a big if.
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