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.

A sharp divide has opened among former Manchester United figures over whether Michael Carrick should be given the job as permanent manager after an encouraging interim spell. Rio Ferdinand has publicly defended Carrick while Gary Neville and Roy Keane remain unconvinced.

Carrick’s start was notable: successive wins arrived inside his first 12 days in charge, and he needed only two games—against the best two teams in the country—to register them. That rapid impact is being measured against the recent tenure of Ruben Amorim, who took 11 months and 35 games to record consecutive league wins. Amorim’s run eventually became three straight victories as United beat Sunderland, Liverpool and Brighton & Hove Albion back-to-back-to-back in October, but he did not repeat that sequence.

Off the back of the Manchester derby, the Arsenal result left Keane unmoved. Keane remains clear that short-term form will not change his view on the permanent appointment. “I think if United win every game from now until the end of the season, I still wouldn’t be giving him the job. I just think they need a bigger, more experienced manager. Simple as that,” Keane stated on Sky Sports. “I don’t believe he’s the man to get Manchester United back winning league titles.”

Neville accepted the improvement on the pitch but argued the club has acted emotionally before. “Manchester United have acted emotionally a number of times in the last 12 years,” he said. “I honestly could not be happier with the last two weeks. The familiarity in what I’m watching feels like I’m watching my team play again properly. They played properly, with intensity. I think it’s right that Carrick keeps the job until the end of the season and then hands the baton over to [Thomas] Tuchel or [Carlo] Ancelotti, someone of that world-class ilk.”

There is context to the caution: Ole Gunnar Solskjær produced strong interim numbers but ultimately did not deliver major trophies. Ferdinand, who shared a dressing room with Carrick for longer than Neville, pushed back hard on the sceptics. “Michael Carrick’s come in, turned the collar up on his long trench coat and said: ‘Listen guys, get behind me, I’m gonna put you in a structure that’s going to actually suit the players that we have, we’re going to be hard to play against, we’re going work hard, and we’re going be a threat. And, by the way, my first two games are Man City and Arsenal,’” he said. “He’s gone and got six points and people are telling me that, no matter what Michael Carrick does, he shouldn’t get the opportunity to manage Man Utd,” the retired defender exclaimed in disbelief.

The debate now centres on whether the early momentum and internal structure Carrick has offered are sufficient to outweigh concerns about experience and long-term ambition. Carrick himself remains “not bothered” by the dispute, and the camp has also endured a revived personal jab, with his wife described as a “big mouth”.

Manchester United face the prospect of losing Patrick Dorgu for a significant period after scans reportedly revealed a hamstring problem worse than first thought. The Athletic writes that the issue has been identified as a hamstring injury, and while assessments continue and the timeframe of his absence is not exact, the initial estimate is 10 weeks out.

Dorgu was withdrawn a few minutes before Matheus Cunha’s spectacular winning goal, with the new interim manager initially hopeful it was “a little bit of cramp.” The boss added postgame at the Emirates Stadium, “Hopefully it’s not too bad.” Those early hopes have proved optimistic as the scan results suggest a longer layoff.

If the 10-week projection holds, Dorgu may not return until early April, meaning he could miss eight of Manchester United’s next fixtures across February and March. He will also miss Denmark’s crucial 2026 World Cup qualification play-off bracket in March. The immediate fixtures he could miss include matches against Fulham (February 1), Tottenham (February 7), West Ham (February 10), Everton (February 23), Crystal Palace (March 1), Newcastle (March 4), Aston Villa (March 14) and Bournemouth (March 20).

Dorgu arrived from Lecce last January, recruited to suit Ruben Amorim’s preferred 3-4-2-1 system. His versatility has become clearer since United reverted to a 4-2-3-1, where his ability to operate higher up the pitch as a winger has been evident. He was less effective when Darren Fletcher deployed him as a conventional left back in the FA Cup defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion. Fletcher later used the Dane on the left wing against Burnley, with Luke Shaw behind him, and Dorgu registered an assist in that draw.

As a winger Dorgu has produced a goal or assist in each of his last three Premier League appearances, having scored impressive goals in successive wins over Manchester City and Arsenal. He also scored in the Boxing Day win against Newcastle United when Amorim temporarily shifted him into an advanced role.