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Jamie Carragher on Michael Carrick Manchester United

the squad makeup tells the real story about what Michael Carrick can actually achieve at Manchester United. Jamie Carragher starts by saying he likes the work being done but immediately pivots to a hard truth about the ceiling. He does not see a Premier League title coming in for the manager, and competing band for band with Europe's best in the Champions League is even less likely. The core issue is that despite spending heavily during the summer transfer window, United went through the whole period without signing another senior left-back. Now that the window is closed, Luke Shaw stands as the only recognized senior option available in that position for Carrick to work with. You cannot reasonably expect a manager to compete for the biggest trophies in England and Europe while leaving such obvious weaknesses in the squad. Carrick has the ability to improve this team and make them competitive on paper. But if United truly want to challenge for the Premier League and Champions League, they will eventually need more quality, more depth, and that extra bit of stardust. That distinction is exactly what separates building a good team from building a squad capable of winning everything.

1w

Kbruno@kbruno

Follow

Jamie Carragher on Michael Carrick Manchester United

the squad makeup tells the real story about what Michael Carrick can actually achieve at Manchester United. Jamie Carragher starts by saying he likes the work being done but immediately pivots to a hard truth about the ceiling. He does not see a Premier League title coming in for the manager, and competing band for band with Europe's best in the Champions League is even less likely. The core issue is that despite spending heavily during the summer transfer window, United went through the whole period without signing another senior left-back. Now that the window is closed, Luke Shaw stands as the only recognized senior option available in that position for Carrick to work with. You cannot reasonably expect a manager to compete for the biggest trophies in England and Europe while leaving such obvious weaknesses in the squad. Carrick has the ability to improve this team and make them competitive on paper. But if United truly want to challenge for the Premier League and Champions League, they will eventually need more quality, more depth, and that extra bit of stardust. That distinction is exactly what separates building a good team from building a squad capable of winning everything.

1w