Are Manchester United Actually Good Now?

Published 1st April 2026

Michael Carrick took charge of Manchester United in January, and things have gone rather swimmingly since. In his second spell as interim manager, United have only lost one match to date and enjoyed wins against Manchester City, Arsenal, and Aston Villa. But what do the underlying numbers suggest? Are United actually good now?

Early victories

Carrick's early wins suggested he might follow a similar approach to Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer against the better sides: sit back and counter. Against City, United scored two excellent goals on the break, often attacking down the left with speed, with Patrick Dorgu playing higher up and Kobbie Mainoo restored to the starting XI. They only had 31.8% possession at home, and completed 79% of passes to City's 90%, but United fans only cared about the most important stat.

The following game against Arsenal was slightly more chaotic, with United needing a late winner from Matheus Cunha. Again, they looked most dangerous on the break and had less possession.

The 3-1 win against Aston Villa, two months into Carrick's reign, was perhaps the most convincing yet. United edged possession and rarely conceded good chances.

Much discussion around the Premier League has been on Arsenal's reliance on set pieces, but United have been similarly effective from dead balls. They have 15 set piece goals plus 3 penalties scored. Overall, they're outscoring everyone but the top two. United have the fourth highest xG. Their average possession is fifth highest, suggesting they weren't quite as negative under Ruben Amorim as some suggested.

As ever, Bruno Fernandes has been United's standout player with a league-high assists record. He's far outpacing other creators like Rayan Cherki, Jack Grealish, and Mohamed Salah, who despite his struggles has set up more goals for Liverpool than anyone else.

This would be the third time the now-captain has helped United qualify for the top four since he joined mid-season in 2021-21. The latest football odds suggest Man United will join Arsenal and Man City. United are ahead of Liverpool, Aston Villa, and Chelsea in the race for a Champions League place. 5th in the Premier League may also qualify for the Champions League, depending on English teams' results in Europe before the end of the season.

Carrick's predecessor

Amorim supporters will point out that United were 6th, level on points with 5th, when the Portuguese manager was sacked. The United board arguably decided to get rid of Amorim due to politics rather than results. Amorim publicly criticised their transfer policy and some pundits suggested he was trying to get sacked (and receive a hefty payoff). The table was particularly congested at the time, with United just four points ahead of Crystal Palace in 14th.

Between Amorim's appointment and his departure, only three Premier League teams – Wolves, West Ham, and Tottenham – won fewer points than United's 58. It is almost thirteen years since Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement and Amorim had the worst points per game record out of nine permanent and interim managers.

Former United players turned pundits, including Gary Neville and Roy Keane, have been cautious about praising Carrick too much. They saw Solskjaer's United begin to struggle after an early upturn in form. Keane has said there are better options out there and that the job will become more complicated if Carrick was tasked with contract negotiations, transfers, and European football.