Wayne Rooney has identified a simple structural shift as the decisive factor behind Manchester United’s recent improvement: a compact four-man unit protecting the back line.

Rooney, speaking on his self-titled BBC podcast, pointed to the quartet of Harry Maguire, Lisandro Martínez, Kobbie Mainoo and Casemiro as “the main change” driving better results. He highlighted a renewed resilience and collective work-rate as evidence the team were operating with a clearer plan. “Resilient, [a] lot more running than we’ve seen of them under the previous manager … and it looked like they had a plan. Amad was brilliant again [against Fulham], and [Diogo] Dalot as well,” he said.

The move followed a selection shift by Michael Carrick, who restored Mainoo to the central midfield and paired him with Casemiro while Bruno Fernandes has been used further forward. Rooney added: “But I think the main changes for Manchester United are having Harry Maguire and Martínez, and Casemiro and Kobbie Mainoo in front of [them]. Obviously, we can talk about Bruno, he’s United’s best player. But I think having that box of those four has been crucial.”

Tactical context has helped explain why the quartet only recently featured together. Under Amorim the best two centre backs seldom started at the same time. When Maguire returned to the side against Manchester City it was his first start alongside Martínez in a conventional back four since September 2024 under Erik ten Hag. Amorim had also preferred a Casemiro-Fernandes midfield partnership earlier, which pushed Mainoo to the fringes.

The configuration Rooney praises may not be durable. Casemiro’s summer departure at the end of his contract has been announced; the 33-year-old will bid farewell to supporters in May after confirming he will not sign a new deal. Maguire is also out of contract this coming summer and has not yet agreed new terms, leaving his long-term status uncertain.

Benjamin Šeško’s winner against Fulham came with a candid assessment of Manchester United’s collective effort under Michael Carrick. Asked by Sky Sports whether Carrick had urged the squad to enjoy playing for the club again, the 22-year-old said: “It’s true, he has said these things many times to the team. That’s exactly what we are doing.” He added that the change went beyond mood.

“But it’s not just that. You can see how much we work hard for each other without the ball and that also contributes to good results in the end. The work rate is definitely different. Everyone is on point and covering their spaces. In the end, that’s what counts.”

Šeško’s remarks pointed a critical light at his predecessor. The draft notes that Ruben Amorim was relieved of his duties at the start of January after reportedly falling out with the club’s upper hierarchy rather than the dressing room. The impression that players had begun to lose confidence in Amorim’s methods is underlined by the observation that Leeds United collectively ran more than 5km further than their Manchester counterparts in what proved to be Amorim’s final game.

Šeško did not dwell on the past. “The aim is to continue like this,” he insisted. “We want to focus on our work and what we have to do. We have [to] work hard like we are and focus in every moment. All of this is going to lead to great results.”

United took all three points and returned to the division’s top four, but Fulham’s manager made a forceful post-match point. “Top performance from ourselves. Second half, our team was better. The way we played and controlled the ball, they wanted to press us high but we never let them,” Marco Silva said.

Carrick reflected on Fulham’s quality in his own post-match comments: “I was well aware of what a good team Fulham are going into the game. I was getting questions thrown at me about teams sitting back here, but I knew it was never going to be like that today,” Carrick crowed post-match.

United have now won seven successive games while recording possession of 45% or below. When they have had more than 45% of the ball this season, they have four wins from 17 Premier League games, per Opta. The run raises the question of how United will fare against teams that invite them on and force sustained control, a tactical issue flagged ahead of Tottenham Hotspur’s trip to Old Trafford next Saturday.

Michael Carrick has publicly defended Kobbie Mainoo’s versatility and warned against simple labels after the midfielder’s limited role under Ruben Amorim. Carrick says the academy graduate had been unfairly narrowed into a single function, and the interim manager has adjusted the team shape to give Mainoo a fuller role.

“I like the way Kobbie takes the ball,” Carrick told Sky Sports . “I think that’s a big part of being a footballer, and being a top player is being able to cope with the environment.

“He’s come in at such a young age and played some big games in the Euros for England and for Manchester United and playing a big part in those games. So just being able to cope, first off, is a huge thing and he’s proved he can cope.

“He takes the ball, he drifts, he can play, he can play a little bit deeper at times, he can play a little bit higher up depending on who he’s playing with.

“I think sometimes we can pigeonhole players in certain things quite quickly and it’s not always the case. Sometimes you see things in a player and you tweak it a little bit, a bit like Patrick [Dorgu] playing a little bit higher. All of a sudden, things open up.

“Kobbie can play different roles within that, but definitely with Casemiro in the middle of the last couple of games we’ve had a really good pairing. They’ve been a big part of controlling the team.”

Amorim faced plenty of criticism during his time as United manager, primarily relating to his commitment to a 3-4-2-1 formation. Behind that, his use of Mainoo was the top concern among fans. Mainoo was limited by the reduced number of midfield places in that system and by Amorim’s view of him as emergency cover for Bruno Fernandes, who was given a deeper role.

Statistical record (all competitions): appearances 40; starts 16; goals 2; assists 2; total minutes 1,747; minutes per appearance 43.7.

Since Carrick replaced Amorim, Fernandes has been returned to a more attacking role in a 4-2-3-1 and a midfield pivot place has opened. Mainoo has taken that chance, earning two starts under Carrick and beginning to demonstrate the all-round role the manager described. The manager’s tactical adjustment has given Mainoo a clearer pathway to regular midfield responsibility.