Man Utd: How Michael Carrick's side are shaping up for Premier League season
Manchester United manager Michael Carrick is implementing a tactical shift for the upcoming Premier League season, focusing on an entertaining, high-risk style of play. The team is moving away from the previous manager's possession-heavy approach to mirror the club's traditional attacking DNA.
Why it matters
Tactical changes at a major football club significantly impact fan engagement and the competitive landscape of the Premier League.
Image source, Getty Images By Umir Irfan Football tactics correspondent Published 19 August 2026, 07:29 BST "First and foremost, we want to win," said Michael Carrick when asked what style of football he wanted his Manchester United team to play this season.
But he quickly clarified, "we want to be excited - that's why we love this club. I'm fully aware that we need to do it in a certain way".
Carrick echoed the sentiment of the architect of United's most successful era, Sir Alex Ferguson, who in 2017 said: "I think you have a duty to entertain. We have to always remember there's a public to be entertained."
'United DNA' has often been referenced when fans, ex-players and pundits have discussed the club in recent years.
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