For much of this week, genuine questions were being raised about Michael Carrick’s future at Manchester United.
A disastrous defeat to rivals Leeds left the Red Devils on the back foot. Maybe they won’t use the former midfielder full-time?
Well, football changes quickly. United won 1-0 against inferior Chelsea, giving them the driving force to once again qualify for the Champions League.
Man United, who took over at a similar time, would appear to have secured the appointment. But the Blues didn’t do that. Indeed, Carrick looks more likely to feature in next season’s Premier League than Liam Rosenior.
Not only has he made United play better football, but he has also put Koby Mainou in a position of hope.
The numbers behind Koby Mainu’s performance against Chelsea
Under Ruben Amorim, Mainu’s career only progressed in one direction: backwards.
The Englishman was a key cog for United under Erik ten Hag and famously scored in the FA Cup final. He was also in the starting lineup at the last European Championship.
But Amorim did not like him for some reason. With the Portuguese manager in charge, the midfielder was likely to take a break from Old Trafford. Simply put, it would have been a crime.
Ranking: Premier League’s best midfielders (2025/26)
Is anyone approaching Bruno Fernandes now?
But under Carrick, the youngster is quickly becoming one of the team’s most important players once again, and he proved just that with a classy performance against Chelsea on Saturday.
In the post-game press conference, the interim manager said, “This was the best play since Coby has been here,” and it’s hard to argue with that.
The 21-year-old completed 91% of his passes and had 24 carries in an incredible display of possession. He was a real force from the middle of the park, winning all three tackles and making five recoveries.
The question arises as to why the Amorim excluded the British so often.
Mainu’s return to the team, and indeed his return to form, has reached a crucial juncture, especially with Casemiro and Manuel Ugarte set to leave in the summer.
Manchester United could sign Koby Mainou as an upgrade
United’s young midfielder could very well be the team’s future, but interestingly, the Red Devils could actually sign him into an upgrade this summer.
This is according to the latest information provided by Fabrizio Romano on his YouTube channel regarding the club’s signing of Elliott Anderson.
A transfer reporter revealed this. “Manchester City have already started negotiations with the player’s agent, while Manchester United are still in talks to sign Elliott Anderson. Manchester United are not giving up.
“They know that Manchester City started their plans to sign the player a long time ago, but Man United want to be there until the deal is completed. Man United want to take on the challenge and ultimately believe that having the opportunity to offer Champions League football to the player could be important in moving them closer to Manchester City in this race.”
“But what will make the difference is the negotiations with Nottingham Forest and who will pay the amount Nottingham Forest want.”
What is that fee? Now, previous reports suggested it could cost up to £100m to lure players away from the City Ground. Yes, it’s a hefty price tag, but it’s well worth it, especially when you compare him to Maynou.
There will likely be a shootout between him and Anderson for a spot alongside Declan Rice in England’s engine room at the World Cup this summer, but it’s a match Anderson is expected to win.
After all, there’s a reason Three Lions manager Thomas Tuchel described the Forest star as “one of the best midfielders in the Premier League”. Why would that be? Well, he seems to have it all figured out. This season he has become a true box-to-box sensation, particularly scoring a stunning goal against Manchester City earlier this year.
But it is his qualities that go beyond goalscoring that attract attention.
Anderson vs Mynu: Premier League 25/26 | ||
|---|---|---|
Statistics (per 90 minutes) | anderson | Mainu |
the goal | 0.1 | 0 |
shot | 0.7 | 0.4 |
assist | 0.1 | 0.2 |
An opportunity has arisen | 1.6 | 1.3 |
Pass accuracy | 85% | 90% |
forward pass | 21.7 | 12.5 |
The tackle I made | 2.9 | 2.2 |
Take-up completed | 1.3 | 0.9 |
won an aerial battle | 1.9 | 1 |
Won a ground duel | 6.2 | 4.2 |
intercept | 1.1 | 0.8 |
Comparing both Anderson and Mainu, the former wins by a landslide. The Forest star has certainly been the most talked about of them this season, which is perhaps somewhat surprising when you actually see how many metrics Minoo is losing out on.
His passing accuracy has improved a bit, but Anderson’s handling of the ball makes that metric a little meaningless.
In fact, the former Newcastle United player makes more forward passes and completes more take-ons when in possession of the soccer ball.
From an attacking point of view, there isn’t much that separates the two sides, but when it comes to winning duels and breaking games, United’s £100m target is right on their doorstep. He’s a duel-winning monster and someone cut from a similar cloth to the aforementioned Rice.
Arsenal paid West Ham £105m to sign him in 2023 and we all know how that move worked out. This would be a fantastic signing if Sir Alex Ferguson’s strategy of signing one of the most highly rated players in English football can be achieved over the line.
He was a monster vs. Chelsea: 8/10 Man United star is becoming the new Minoru
Manchester United scored an important victory in their bid to secure Champions League football.
