Don’t look now, but despite all their turmoil this season in moving on from manager Ruben Amorim and bringing in Michael Carrick to steady the ship, Manchester United are firmly in the race for a Champions League place in the league. Carrick has overseen arguably the toughest two matches that a manager could lead, facing Manchester City and Arsenal, and emerged from that with two victories. While these could lead to a situation where Carrick ends up becoming the permanent manager of the Red Devils, this was an improvement that was beginning before he came to the club.
How to watch Manchester United vs. Fulham, odds
- Date: Sunday, Feb. 1 | Time: 9 a.m. ET
- Location: Old Trafford — Manchester, England
- Live stream: Peacock
- Odds: Manchester United -175; Draw +350; Fulham +400
Taking a look at the chart below, Manchester United’s form really began to move in the right direction after defeating Crystal Palace on Matchday 13. From that point, they’ve only lost one match in the Premier League while charging up the table. Draws have kept them from being firmly in the top four at this stage of the season, but it’s clear that Amorim was doing something right even when he departed the club.
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That base does help Carrick, as he only needs to be a true caretaker manager, but he is building on the good that Amorim already instilled in the squad while tweaking things to take them forward. After already getting two massive victories in his first two matches in charge, some of his hardest work is already behind him. United control their own destiny, hosting a Fulham side that struggles on the road, and three points will be the expectation.
He will need to manage an injury to Patrick Dorgu, who is out with a thigh injury. Dorgu has found his form as a winger with two goals and an assist since moving into an advanced role for the team. With Amad Diallo, Bryan Mbuemo, and Matheus Cunha, Carrick will still have options in the attack, but he’ll need to ensure that they don’t let the defense falter while putting more attackers on the pitch.
Via Harry Wilson, Fulham are a side who can shoot from anywhere on the pitch to make things happen, and Senne Lammens will need to be aware of that. But again, a win is expeced and Carrick knows plenty about playing under the pressure of expectations at Old Trafford. If he’s able to instill that into his side, we could begin to witness the return of United, but with the club riding a six-match unbeaten streak in the league, it will also be important to see how they respond when they eventually lose their first match under Carrick.
