Neville reveals why Manchester is suddenly so good

So far, the Michael Carrick experiment is working big time. The former United’s midfielder got the interim gig at Old Trafford as he was available since sacking in Middlesbrough in June 2025. Carrick knows the club inside out and is also not so rigid tactic-wise, so his two big wins, made against Manchester City and Arsenal are maybe not so surprising as it first seemed. Carrick simplified the tactics and used it according to the players he has at his disposal and the result is visible. But, the more pessimistic ones will says that even during Ruben Amorim’s or even Ten Hag’s tenure United played better (and won) against stronger opponents.

Carrick’s former teammate Gary Neville, one of Amorim’s stronger critiques rushed to praise him and to explained what changed.

“There are a number of things that have changed. The intensity, the compactness, the aggression of the defending, their willingness to get behind the ball together and be difficult to beat and dig in when you're in difficult moments of the game. And there was more of that against Arsenal than there was against City. I thought they played better football against City, but they were always going to have to dig in at Arsenal more. But the big thing for me is that they've got a threat up front. They've got a group of players who are talented up front, who are also getting back and helping their defenders, who are digging in” said the former defender in his own “Gary Neville Podcast”.

Tactics is also one of the key elements. After a stubborn Amorim and his 3-4-2-1 setup, Carrick brought back the all-time favorite 4-2-3-1 tactics.

“He's definitely instilled a simplicity to it in the last two weeks, in the last two games, that I like about it. 4-2-3-1 is my favourite system. We've talked about it a lot, the idea of a talented player playing off a striker, two wide players narrowing in midfield, a back four that's really aggressive. It's been a huge turn. That's why a number of players that commentate on Manchester United have been so angry in this last five or six weeks. Because of the likes of Everton, Wolves, West Ham, Bournemouth, Burnley and Leeds, six teams that have been really struggling apart from Leeds maybe, and only five points were picked up in those games again out of the 18. And in a lot of those games where Manchester United had opportunities to go into the top four. We're like, 'go on', and they didn't, and now they've done it because I genuinely believe there is a feeling that they are better than what they've shown. And they've proved it in these last two games, they have really proved that they can get compact, they can stay together, be aggressive in their shape, can spring out of that shape and play good football and counter-attack and hurt teams, and they can score great goals and get bodies in the box. It's been thrilling to watch these last two matches, it really has, and it's a remarkable turnaround” explained Neville.