Michael Carrick: How Ruben Amorim revived Manchester United veteran’s career

Against Brighton, Cunha stayed disciplined off the ball and kept the balance right. He stopped United from losing control through the centre. When they lost the ball, players filled spaces quickly. That reaction shows how Amorim’s 3-4-3 switches into a 4-3-3 when needed.

“What’s being said about the midfield too, and the pairing and the spaces that they’ve got to cover over the last year or so?”

“There’s something I’m really interested in: how they get support and help. You can’t expect two midfielders against a good team to deal with three or four players.”

“So how do you find the solution? The solution comes from the forwards dropping back to support this middle zone that we’re showing here, to support Bruno and Casemiro. The forwards provide support, with Luke Shaw jumping in on Rutter and staying in there to almost make a three-man midfield.”

“In the end, it’s a numbers game and a space game, and you’ve got to fill the right spaces. Bruno, Luke Shaw, and Casemiro here filling up another part of the pitch just kept them solid. There’s no way against the Brighton team you could ask Bruno and Casemiro to do that alone, and the formation was quite fluid. You can see Luke Shaw almost as a right midfielder here. That leaves Cunha to drop in and be responsible and disciplined.”

“But the key is the spaces and how he’s tucked in around it. Even when they got broken at times, they were willing to backtrack and fill in fluidly. And you see the backtracking position here – it summed it up.”

“It was such a big shift from Cunha, Bruno, Casemiro, and Luke Shaw to fill the middle of the pitch.”

Quotes via TBR Football

The idea stays simple. The players add numbers where they matter and move when required. Casemiro has won more interceptions since this tweak, and Bruno creates more chances. The team now solves an ageing problem through shared effort, not isolation. Still, the story carries a twist. Al-Nassr reportedly want to sign Casemiro from Manchester United on a free transfer next summer. United also plan to offer him a new deal on reduced wages.

Opinion: The old general still leads, but the future must arrive soon

Amorim’s ‘midfield swarm’ turns Casemiro from a fading warrior into a reliable anchor, but smart tactics can’t stop time. The Brighton match showed how United used his strengths. Yet the team still needs a younger midfielder beside Bruno.

Players like Carlos Baleba or Adam Wharton will bring the energy and forward drive Amorim’s system needs. Casemiro plays best when he reads and reacts. He struggles when the game moves too quickly. Fast transitions expose the Brazilian’s lack of pace, and high-pressing moments stretch the 33-year-old too far.

To keep this balance, Amorim should plan for the next phase, not just the present. Baleba or Wharton carry the ball, passes forward, and covers the ground that Casemiro no longer covers. The Brazilian’s brain still runs the game, but Manchester United’s future midfield needs fresh legs to match his vision. Amorim’s tweak buys him time, not permanence. That makes this story clever but bittersweet.