‘Definitely Different’—Man Utd Star Makes Damning Ruben Amorim Admission

The comparison made between Michael Carrick and Amorim by Benjamin Šeško offers up some intriguing questions for the future.

Benjamin Šeško (left) gave Michael Carrick his third straight win. | Robbie Jay Barratt-AMA/Getty Images

Manchester United’s match-winner against Fulham, Benjamin Šeško, admitted that the team’s collective work-rate under Michael Carrick is “definitely different” compared to the output inspired by his predecessor Ruben Amorim.

Šeško’s dramatic 94th-minute stab into the top corner earned Carrick a third-straight Premier League victory, matching the longest winning run Amorim was able to achieve across his 14-month tenure. United’s dramatic turnaround has been put down to a change of system and a general sense of good will but the Slovenian striker pointed to something much more simple: endeavour.

It was put to Šeško by Sky Sports that Carrick has encouraged the team to enjoy playing for Manchester United again. “It’s true, he has said these things many times to the team. That’s exactly what we are doing,” the 22-year-old admitted. “But it’s not just that.

“You can see how much we work hard for each other without the ball and that also contributes to good results in the end. The work rate is definitely different. Everyone is on point and covering their spaces. In the end, that’s what counts.”

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Sesko’s Brutal Honesty Asks Questions of the Future

Manchester United came out on top against Fulham—just. | Shaun Brooks-CameraSport/Getty Images

If United’s uptick in form is down to work rate as Šeško hypothesises, it’s a damning indictment on Amorim’s powers of motivation. The Portuguese boss was ultimately shown the door at the start of January after reportedly falling out with the club’s upper hierarchy rather than the dressing room.

However, the players’ faith in his abilities had clearly begun to wane by the end of his rocky tenure—Leeds United collectively ran more than 5km further than their Manchester counterparts in what proved to be Amorim’s final game at the helm.

Yet, Šeško’s honesty also spins the spotlight on United’s squad. If the players have the capacity to improve their “work rate” to such an extent that it turns them from a joke into genuine top-four contenders, what’s to say that they won’t simply wane once more when the novelty of Carrick’s messages wears thin?

“The aim is to continue like this,” Šeško insisted. “We want to focus on our work and what we have to do. We have [to] work hard like we are and focus in every moment. All of this is going to lead to great results.”

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Fulham Win Underscores Worrying Man Utd Trend

Michael Carrick has not faced many setbacks during his brief Man Utd reign. | Robbie Jay Barratt-AMA/Getty Images

United walked away with all three points and a return to the division’s top four but there were some worrying signs for the visitors. As Fulham’s indignant boss Marco Silva rightly pointed out: “Top performance from ourselves. Second half, our team was better. The way we played and controlled the ball, they wanted to press us high but we never let them.”

The buildup to Sunday’s contest had centred around United’s ability to break down a low block but Fulham dominated possession. “I was well aware of what a good team Fulham are going into the game. I was getting questions thrown at me about teams sitting back here, but I knew it was never going to be like that today,” Carrick crowed post-match. If anything, Fulham’s adventure played into United’s hands.

This was the seventh game in succession which United have won while recording a possession figure of 45% or below. Yet, when they have had more than 45% of the ball, they boast just four wins from 17 Premier League games this season, per Opta.

At some point, Carrick will come up against a team which deliberately deploys an obdurate rearguard action, forcing United to assume the ascendancy. That may very well be the approach which Thomas Frank takes in his attempt to secure a second successive set of points against Mancunian opposition when Tottenham Hotspur head to Old Trafford next Saturday lunchtime.

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Man Utd’s Struggles in Possession

Statistic	More than 45% Possession	Less than 45% Possession
Games	17	7
Wins	4	7
Draws	8	0
Losses	5	0
Points per Game	1.18	3

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