Not Carrick, Manchester United needs Luis Enrique

Manchester City won the Champions League with Pep Guardiola. Paris Saint-Germain conquered Europe thanks to Luis Enrique. Manchester United (MU) also needs such a leader on the coaching bench.

This club did not succeed with a manager similar to Sir Alex Ferguson, David Moyes. They also failed with a manager influenced by Pep Guardiola, Erik ten Hag. Manchester United also disappointed with the conservative strategist Louis van Gaal and faced controversy with the football rebel Jose Mourinho.

Reflective examples

One could parody this saying at Old Trafford: Tell me who Manchester United's manager is, and I will tell you what kind of team they are! The "Red Devils" previously failed with a legend like Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and seem to be repeating it with another former player, Michael Carrick.

The owners of Manchester City and PSG have ambitions to make their clubs great. Beyond massive investments, they achieved this with Pep Guardiola and Luis Enrique. Of course, there are exceptions, because hiring a prestigious manager does not guarantee success.

Manchester United with Jose Mourinho is a prime example. PSG also did not achieve its goals with Carlo Ancelotti. But looking at how the Paris capital club operates with consistency from the president, sports director to the coaching staff, one understands the importance of the Spanish strategist at Parc des Princes.

The current Old Trafford club resembles Manchester City before Pep Guardiola, winning the Premier League but not being a major European force. Similarly, PSG before Enrique arrived in France dominated Ligue 1 but lacked respect on the continent. They cannot continue such a "chaotic" period for too long.

At this moment, the club's upper management is gauging "public opinion" and assessing risks regarding officially appointing Carrick. The 45-year-old coach has support from his players but has not fully convinced the club's leadership.

However, indecision regarding a position that defines the club's class, brand, and value will lead to greater hidden risks for Manchester United. They have already erred with Erik ten Hag and recently with Ruben Amorim.

Luis Enrique does not make mistakes in long-term strategy and fits a team needing to return to the top quickly!

Upgrading with Enrique

Currently, Manchester United has stability and progress on the pitch but lacks superiority in quality. From a sporting perspective, Carrick's team operates with better structure, passing ratios, and shooting efficiency, reducing defensive errors. This explains the repaired system, but it is not the core issue; the problem is Manchester United's lack of consistency.

This leads to a clear consequence in metrics measuring player involvement in goal-scoring sequences. At Old Trafford, these sequences focus on specific individuals. Over time, limited flexibility and involvement from others create disadvantages and vulnerability to counter-strategies.

Manchester United is also a blend of control and instinct, structure and freedom. The current squad performs well in open environments but struggles under rigid principles, including Bruno Fernandes.

Luis Enrique would organize a different Red Devils team. Of course, the difference is not just in philosophy or football efficiency. It involves "reconstructing" personnel. "Lucho's" system requires players capable of maintaining positions, reading space, and playing with high intensity over extended periods.

This changes the understanding of the game at a higher level, similar to how Manchester City or PSG play now. Data shows Carrick's Manchester United has improved but has only transitioned from chaos to order.

They need to perform at the level of Europe's elite clubs, as PSG demonstrated against Liverpool in the Champions League quarter-final first leg, with absolute dominance in football. And European champions always play like that against any opponent.

On the other hand, Old Trafford lacks a central power hub and is easily influenced by the dressing room and leadership. Enrique could reduce that decentralization to strengthen systemic authority. He would also unite all parties under his common vision. In the dense "media" environment at Old Trafford, this would help the club control information, build image strength, and deliver clear messaging.

With a strong personality, direct communication, and no avoidance of pressure. Instead of being swept into familiar crisis cycles, the Red Devils could build a project with a specific philosophy, led by someone credible enough to defend it.

Now, what kind of club do the Red Devils want to be next season?