Who could replace Michael Carrick?

The more pertinent question is ‘Could we replace Carrick?’ To that I’d say yes – kind of. I say kind of because of the situation that followed Scholes’ departure (his last one). No direct replacement was bought for The Ginger Prince however, the structure of the midfield changed.

Carrick took on a more influential role and dropped deeper into the role we now see him occupy, and in his absence, fellow midfielders fulfilled box-to-box duties such as Tom Cleverley and Anderson who briefly thrived together in a double pivot and more recently, Ander Herrera. Carrick has been so successful in his role that he’s been able to break up play, more with interceptions than the typical all-action aggression of a Vidal, De Jong etc. and also distribute the ball expertly, kick-starting attacks from deep. His replacement will either perform one of these duties, with others around them having to perform more functions in the engine room, or the successor will be comprised of two new players who both perform each of the roles that Carrick performed seamlessly.

Although the 33 year-old is showing no signs of letting up, he’s 33 years old! With no clear replacements within the United ranks, van Gaal will have to scour through the market to find a sufficient player. It would also be wise to sign such a player this summer as it is always better to be pro-active than reactive, and no one can predict how soon Michael Carrick’s expiry date will come, making it the best thing to do to let a rotate with or under-study him with a view to them being the full-time occupant of the position the season after. So, who are some of the contenders?

One potential suitor is Borussia Dortmund’s Ilkay Gundogan. With various reports saying that he’s not far off from a move to Old Trafford, Gundogan seems like one of the most likely options. Almost a decade younger than Carrick at 24 years old, the German international possesses similar attributes as he’s able to break up attacks as well as being a very astute passer of the ball. Playing as though as he’d not had a lengthy layoff with a spinal injury, Gundogan could be the answer to Carrick as he replicates his composure, vision and anticipation. One issue is that he performs this role alongside the help of fellow midfielder Nuri Sahin. They work together in a double pivot, a method not alien to United sides and he could perform this with Ander Herrera, allowing the Spaniard to venture forward more and shouldering the defensive duties himself that he gives to Sahin at the moment but is capable of doing himself, although he may miss the liberation of his current role in what would be a far more disciplined position. Gundogan is the perfect example of a player who could go some way to replacing Carrick but is not just the solution solely by himself.

Another midfielder that could replace Carrick is Morgan Schneiderlin. A player on the wish list of many club’s fans, the Southampton man represents the more defensive side of Carrick’s game. His masterclass at Stamford Bridge in March showed just how effective he is on his day as he completed 10 of his 10 attempted tackles and 9 interceptions, the most of anyone on the pitch. He has a similar to physique to Carrick, one advantage over Gundogan, but uses his to greater effect, with his aggression being a key factor in his overall play, which can sometimes be overzealous, as shown in Southampton’s earlier fixture against Chelsea at St. Mary’s where he was sent off. On the ball he possesses pass accuracy statistics similar to Carrick’s however this does not tell the whole story as the France player is more cautious with his distribution than the United man. This again means that if he was to join the ranks, he’d most likely have to be paired with another midfielder who had similarly vast passing skills to Carrick.

A young player who, although not quite ready, could eventually fill Carrick’s boots is Under-21 player Sean Goss. Not merely because he is his doppelgänger, Goss possesses the attributes needed to potentially replace him, if he can hone his skills. As he has said himself “I do look up to him. I want to play like him as well, spreading passes, keeping the ball and trying to read the play.” These are certainly things that he excels in, his defensive side is ever improving but that is the one major aspect that he’d have to work on significantly in order to get a first-team bow. He has a similar trait to Carrick of pulling off those first time raking passes out to the flanks, and, the more aspects of Carrick’s game he can imitate, the more likely his chances will become of making at the club.

All in all, the analysis of his potential replacements shows the uniqueness of Michael Carrick’s role within the team, and why he’s so sorely missed within the side when he’s not there. His experience in the game goes some way to explaining his capabilities, as a younger player simply doesn’t have the know-how to perform as many duties as he does. Also, the fact that he worked alongside Scholes so long that now ‘It’s hard to believe it’s not Scholes’ as the Stretford End sing. This shows why it’s near impossible for only one player to replace him, and why, it may not be such a bad thing that two may have to come in. From unsung hero to vital organ, Michael Carrick’s ability is such that his successor(s) truly have their work cut out.