Ruben Amorim’s Man Utd ‘bans’ as Michael Carrick brings in new rule | Football | Sport

Michael Carrick could scrap three bans put in place by his predecessor Ruben Amorim at Manchester United. Carrick‘s appointment last week as the club’s interim manager until the end of the season followed Amorim’s recent dismissal.

Amorim’s 14-month tenure at Old Trafford saw him struggle to implement his tactics effectively and he seemingly fell out with United’s director of football, Jason Wilcox, over transfers towards the end. Meanwhile, Carrick guided the Red Devils to a dominant 2-0 victory against Manchester City in his first game in charge, evoking memories of the teams he played for under Sir Alex Ferguson. The team appeared transformed after just three days of training under their new manager, both defensively and in attack.

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That transformation might be down to a new rule introduced by Carrick since assuming control. According to the Daily Mail, the 44-year-old has made training sessions at Carrington shorter but more intense in a bid to improve results this season.

The players’ reaction has reportedly been positive, with a noticeably different atmosphere visible from the very first training session. The squad were also introduced to the new coaching team, made up of Steve Holland – who arrived as Carrick’s No.2 – along with Jonathan Woodgate and Jonny Evans as first‑team coaches.

There is said to be a strong blend of skill sets and personalities within the staff, and a ‘positive dynamic’ already appears to be forming. Sessions have shifted towards more one-to-one work with specific players and the squad are believed to be struck by the level of attention to detail.

It remains unclear whether Carrick has kept or reversed the three so-called bans that Amorim introduced during his tenure. Among the Portuguese’s firm principles at United was prohibiting players from treating international breaks as holiday opportunities, with Marcus Rashford and Casemiro having faced scrutiny for jetting across the Atlantic when they had only been given a few days off training to rest.

Addressing the controversy, Amorim said at the time: “Would I set a different structure? Yes, for sure. But we cannot put this on the players. They told them they have five days off so they can fly anywhere. Because nobody in the club says you cannot fly. So we cannot, this time, put that on Rash or Case.

“We as a club have to set the standards and manage that. It’s my decision if they can have five days, or three days, or three days to rest and you cannot fly. This is something that us as a club have to decide. So this must be started in the club, with us and me being responsible in that area.”

Amorim also banned food in the dressing room on matchdays, stressing the importance of improving his squad’s physical conditioning. The Portuguese manager acknowledged very early on it was “impossible” to win the Premier League with a team that doesn’t run. “You can do a starting line-up with the best players on the planet, without running they also won’t win,” he said. “We have to run like mad dogs, if not we won’t win.”

The third rule he introduced was aimed at his coaching staff, banning them from delivering overcomplicated instructions to his players. The former Sporting CP manager believed that if he couldn’t convey a particular concept in a single sentence, it shouldn’t be communicated until it’s been simplified.

It was claimed that the approach initially went down well with the players, given the ‘clarity’ of his instructions. But that did not appear to help in practice as his players struggled to adapt to his 3-4-3 formation even after a year in charge.

The players, however, appear to have had no trouble adapting to Carrick’s instructions, as shown by their stellar performance in the Manchester Derby. A more formidable challenge awaits them this Sunday at the Emirates Stadium, where they will square off against the league leaders, Arsenal.