Carrick must bin 5/10 Man Utd man

Where have Manchester United been all this time?

That was as comprehensive a victory as you will see in the Premier League this season. Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City were blown away, left tattered, by a Michael Carrick masterclass, the fresh-in interim boss

City were outthought and outfought. They had no answer for the home side’s intensity. Penny for Ruben Amorim’s thoughts; the recently-sacked Portuguese coach must be scratching his head at that display, his project so far removed from the staple ferocity that we have just witnessed.

It’s been a tough campaign for the Red Devils, for sure, but United’s win saw them overtake fourth-place Liverpool before the struggling champions’ home match against Burnley, and so many of Carrick’s stars paid back the faith with excellent efforts.

Man United’s best performers in the derby

Where could we start if not with Kobbie Mainoo, who was ostracised from the action under Amorim’s wing but proved against City that he has what it takes to become a mainstay for Manchester United.

Hailed as a “special gem of a footballer” by one content creator, the England international, still only 20, is bound to earn plenty of minutes going forward, hopefully reinforcing the middle of the park and allowing skipper Bruno Fernandes, in his natural berth,

Bryan Mbeumo and Patrick Dorgu got the goals. Credit, in particular, to the latter, who has struggled since moving to England from Lecce in Serie A, but in an unnatural berth on the left wing, he put in a monstrous display, winning ten duels and making nine ball recoveries in an active display, as per Sofascore.

Carrick also deserves credit, having been the engineer of this strong and balanced line-up, getting far more out of his players in one afternoon – against elite opponents – than his predecessor.

The United legend united the club, but not everyone pulled their weight, with one star showing he was a weak link, and that he must be axed going forward.

Why Carrick must instantly drop Man Utd dud

Man United dismantled their pesky neighbours, but it might have been a very different story, had Diogo Dalot been given his marching orders after a reckless challenge early on.

The stalwart has struggled for a while, though there’s no question that he might have heaved a sigh of relief after Amorim’s dismissal, reverting back to a more conventional back four.

The truth is that Dalot was indeed lucky to still be on the pitch after a studs-up challenge missed the ball and found Jeremy Doku’s knee in the first half. It was Dalot’s poor timing that saved him, with the ‘glancing’ contact deemed inoffensive enough to avoid a red card.

But that wasn’t all. Dalot missed an easy pass on the break in the first half, overhitting the ball when Amad Diallo had zipped into space on the right flank.

The Portugal international will count his blessings that United’s performance was so strong, for a defeat in Carrick’s first match back in the dugout would have prompted a fiery response from a desperate and dispirited fanbase.

Defensively, for the most part, Dalot did his part. However, the 26-year-old was ineffective on the ball, with GOAL giving him a 5/10 match rating as he stood out as a weak link.

Poor in possession, he failed to create a single chance or register a single dribble, still losing the ball every 3.7 touches on average.

A little over a year ago, Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher called Dalot “a massive problem” in Amorim’s squad. He was deemed unsuited to the back-five set-up.

Now, Man United seem to have turned a corner, but the £85k-per-week defender simply isn’t showing that he has what it takes to rise along with his teammates, and for this, he must be axed.