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Topics: Man Utd, Michael Carrick, Ruben Amorim, Premier League
Jack Kenmare
Topics: Man Utd, Michael Carrick, Ruben Amorim, Premier League
Since his appointment last week, Michael Carrick has made a series of behind-the-scenes changes at Manchester United as he continues to put his own stamp on proceedings.
The 44-year-old, who has agreed to take over as United's interim head coach until the end of the season, impressed onlookers on Tuesday evening, when he turned up at Leigh Sports Village to watch the club's under-21 side.
At no point did Ruben Amorim attend a youth game during his 14-month spell in charge at Old Trafford, but Carrick and his team of backroom staff, which includes Jonathan Woodgate and Steve Holland, made the short trip in rush hour traffic.
It was a statement of intent from Carrick, who said in his first interview as interim that the club "is all about producing young players and having alignment with the academy."
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That trip to watch the academy in action is just one of several changes Carrick has made, with his backing of academy product Kobbie Mainoo being another standout move in the first week of his reign.
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As mentioned by the Manchester Evening News, Carrick has 'restored faith' in the midfielder.
Ahead of last week's Manchester derby, Mainoo's only start came in their Carabao Cup defeat to League Two side Grimsby Town. He was frozen out by Amorim and looked on the verge of leaving amid interest from elsewhere.
But the decision to start Mainoo against City was inspired, with the England international putting in a Player of the Match performance.
After the full-time whistle, Carrick was pictured speaking to Mainoo in the tunnel, an image that soon made its way onto Mainoo's social media feed. It was his first United-related upload since April.
As well as his focus on the academy and its products, Carrick has introduced a number of subtle changes to United's schedule, which include shorter, more intense training sessions and a greater focus on individual work to help his squad improve.
As per the MEN's report, players have been impressed by the more 'hands-on' approach of Carrick and his staff compared to Amorim, who would get involved but 'sometimes preferred to observe' more than anything.
After the City result, both Harry Maguire and Lisandro Martinez spoke positively about Carrick's actions in the dressing room. He tends to address the players after games, something Amorim actively avoided.
Amorim preferred to let the emotion of matchday fade before making any snap decisions. Instead, players were invited to hold their own debrief if they desired.
He would then address his thoughts the following day as it gave him a chance to further analyse parts of the game and deliver a clear assessment once the emotion of matchday had died down.
The fifth and final change is a subtle one. Carrick prefers United to arrive at Old Trafford slightly later ahead of kick-off, a matchday routine that is said to have been introduced to try and freshen things up.