Michael Carrick has inspired an upturn in results since being appointed Manchester United head coach until the end of the season, but he is still struggling to get the best out of some of his star players.

When Michael Carrick was asked what he would do to make sure Manchester United qualify for the Champions League as he was pitching for the position of interm head coach, he could have done a lot worse than to start with the following: ‘Bring the future of Manchester United’s midfield back in from the cold and start playing the best No.10 in the league as a No.10.’

It seems pretty obvious, and had done for quite some time to anyone who watched United on a regular basis. Anyone except Ruben Amorim, that is.

The former United boss insisted on playing Bruno Fernandes in a midfield two, and while he was good enough to perform in the role, there’s no question he has been better since being moved further forward. With Fernandes playing alongside Casemiro in midfield, Kobbie Mainoo, the player dubbed “the future of ­Manchester United” by Amorim, was left to kick his heels on the bench.

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10 weeks into the post-Amorim era and with Mainoo back in the side and Fernandes playing in his best position, the latter is being talked about as possibly the best player in the league, while Mainoo’s chances of a seat on the plane to North America for the World Cup this summer no longer look to be over.

It would be wrong to downplay the work Carrick has done since his appointment – albeit performance levels of late have not been to the level required – but it isn’t in any way harsh to suggest a big factor in United’s recent resurgence has been the simple decision to play United’s best players in their best positions.

But there are still a few square pegs filling round holes.

Amorim’s desire to build a squad capable of playing his 3-4-2-1 system saw United splash £133.5million on two players who could play in the two No.10 roles. Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo were both solid additions to the United dressing room, yet two of the few United players who came out of the 2024/25 season with any credit, Amad and Fernandes, were both capable of playing as No.10s.

Cunha and Mbeumo added to a pool of No.10 options that also included Mason Mount. Thankfully for United, the likes of Amad and Mbeumo have proven themselves to be effective in wider positions since Amorim’s system was binned following his exit, yet Cunha continues to struggle.

There have been flashes of brilliance from the Brazil international, but he simply does not look comfortable on the left and continues to cut inside and struggles to get into the game in a congested area of the pitch. The draw away at West Ham was a perfect example of too many United players looking to move into the centre of the pitch, and the absence of width in the team meant promising attacks broke down.

Cunha is clearly at his best as a No.10, but for the move to be facilitated, Carrick would either have to drop Fernandes or move the Portuguese playmaker back into midfield and drop Mainoo – neither a genuine option.

Carrick has shown he isn’t afraid to keep big-money signings on the bench, having made Benjamin Sesko wait for his chance from the start despite his hot streak in front of goal. Maybe it’s time to take Cunha out of the team, but there’s no doubt he’s one of United’s better attacking players and Carrick really needs to find a way to get the best out of him.

Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 may be a thing of the past at Old Trafford, but the desire to build a squad capable of playing the formation is still causing United problems.