Red Devil Armada

Michael Carrick has not only steadied the ship since taking over from Ruben Amorim back in January, he has led Manchester United to their best run of form since the 22/23 season. They are now 3rd in the Premier League table, after seven wins, two draws and just one defeat in their last 10 games.

For those of us old enough to remember, there hasn’t been a better striking partnership at Manchester United than Andy Cole and Dwight Yorke. They seemed to have a telepathic connection on the pitch and also genuinely enjoyed each other’s company off it. In the treble-winning 1998/99 season, they scored 53 goals between them. Over the years United have had other strong attacking partnerships as well. In the early 90s it was Mark Hughes and Eric Cantona.

The Manchester United record Bruno Fernandes just broke Manchester United v Crystal Palace - Premier League | Sebastian Frej/GettyImages Manchester United very much remain on course for Champions League qualification. On Sunday, the Red Devils claimed a crucial victory over top five rivals Aston Villa at Old Trafford, with Casemiro breaking the deadlock via a header, before goals from Matheus Cunha and then Benjamin Šeško secured the points later on.

The contract negotiations with Kobbie Mainoo have been dragging on, to say the least. Earlier this season, that was understandable. Under Ruben Amorim, he wasn’t playing much at all, but things have changed quickly. Mainoo has now started all of United’s matches under Michael Carrick and has quickly become one of the team’s most important players. That is exactly why the contract situation is starting to feel uncomfortable.

It doesn't take a genius to figure out that Man United are doing better with Michael Carrick at the wheel than with Ruben Amorim. Ruben Amorim was sacked as Man United's head coach at the beginning of January, with Michael Carrick taking over on an interim basis later that month. Since then, United have gone unbeaten, winning five of their last six games, including three clean sheets. Amorim took over a year to win back to back games, and Carrick did it in 8 days.

Man United's record when visiting new stadiums for the first time examined Everton v Manchester United - Premier League | MB Media/GettyImages Manchester United's unbeaten streak under Michael Carrick is showing little sign of slowing down. On Monday night, in a game low on quality, the Red Devils battled to a 1-0 victory over Everton at Bramley-Moore Dock. Senne Lammens stood tall, repelling the Toffees' ten corners, while one moment of magic at the other end secured victory.

Michael Carrick once again fielded a team that was virtually unchanged for Man United's game against Everton. Leny Yoro came into the starting XI to replace the injured Lisandro Martinez, but otherwise Carrick chose to put his faith in the side he was left largely unchanged since he first arrived at Old Trafford. The game against Everton unravelled fairly similarly to Man United's last game against West Ham, and United fell foul of the same mistakes.

If there's one thing that Michael Carrick has brought to Manchester United since taking charge as head coach last month, it's stability. Man United have seen a serious uptick in form since his hiring, but more importantly, the onslaught of pessimism that surrounded the club has been subdued. United are 4 wins from 5 since Carrick's hiring, and Carrick's team selection is part of the reason that stability has returned to Old Trafford.

Manchester United will have a huge hole to fill in their midfield come this summer. It has already been announced that Casemiro will be departing at the end of the season when his contract expires, and United are already exploring the market for a long-term replacement. One of United's prime targets is reportedly Elliot Anderson, but reports say that Man City are also exploring a move for the midfielder. Casemiro has found a new lease on life in recent months.

The marriage between Marcus Rashford and Manchester United ended in a messy divorce. Rashford made his debut for his boyhood club in 2015, and made almost 300 appearances for the club. But backroom politics, managerial changes, and other issues resulted in Rashford deciding to move on. Rashford initially went out on loan to Aston Villa, but last summer, the club agreed a loan deal with an option to buy to Barcelona.