Football writer Sam Cunningham analyses the key changes that Carrick has made to transform Manchester United's fortunes and boost their top-four push.
Michael Carrick's impressive start at Manchester United hasn't gone unnoticed after he was announced as the Barclays Manager of the Month for January.
United's head coach won each of his first four games - against Manchester City, Arsenal, Fulham and Tottenham Hotspur - after succeeding Ruben Amorim at the start of last month.
That winning run ended against West Ham United, but Benjamin Sesko's equaliser in the sixth minute of stoppage time maintained Carrick's unbeaten start.
Here are five key changes Carrick has made to galvanise United's season:
Restoring identity
United supporters crave the direct, attacking football that defined Sir Alex Ferguson’s era, and Carrick – who played under the legendary former manager – is getting closer to it.
Comparing his five games to former head coach Amorim’s 20 this season, Man Utd are producing almost double the number of direct attacks and 50 per cent more fast breaks per game, while playing 21 more passes into the final third per 90 minutes.
As a result, they are creating more big chances, having more shots on target and winning the ball higher up the pitch, with 8.4 high turnovers per game compared to Amorim’s 7.2.
It has restored some of the old fire at Old Trafford in the three home wins – against Man City, Fulham and Spurs – and produced an unbeaten start under Carrick.
Watch: Carrick ball in full flow
Playing Fernandes as a No 10
Crucial to Carrick’s free-flowing, dynamic football has been unlocking Bruno Fernandes' talents.
After taking charge, Carrick immediately moved Fernandes out of the deeper, fixed midfield role he had occupied in Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 system, pushing the Portuguese further forward behind the striker and giving him the freedom to unleash his abundance of creativity.
Watch: Every Bruno Fernandes goal and assist under Carrick
"Bruno can just create moments," Carrick told Owen Hargreaves on TNT Sports. "He’s bright. I think that little bit of freedom suits him, he’s got a natural [football] brain."
Carrick is placing far less pressure on Fernandes to track back, leaving the brunt of the defensive work to Casemiro and Kobbie Mainoo.
"Knowing him for a long time, what his skills are, his attributes, he’s creative, so let him be creative in the right places," Carrick added.
The tactical tweak brought an immediate return. Fernandes has five goal involvements in his first five games under Carrick, including four assists and a goal in the win against Spurs.
Reintegrating Mainoo
Another major departure from Amorim’s approach has been restoring Mainoo to the starting XI – a move that has worked on multiple levels.
It was a decision many fans wanted to see while Mainoo sat on the bench under Amorim. It reconnected the first-team to Man Utd’s famed academy and added much-needed control and passing fluidity in central midfield.
Mainoo has been the ideal springboard for Man Utd’s swift breakaways.
From zero starts this season under Amorim, the 20-year-old has started all five of Carrick’s games.
"I’m not putting everything on Kobbie’s shoulders, he’s doing terrifically at the moment and I’m sure he’ll continue to be that way," Carrick told United's official website. "We want more of that. We want more players to come through the system and get into the first team.
"For me, there’s no better feeling than giving young players a chance. He’s taken the chance over recent weeks and, as I said, I’m sure he’ll continue to do that."
Deploying Mbeumo as a striker
One change that piqued curiosity was playing wide forward Bryan Mbeumo as the lone striker for the first three games.
Asked why, Carrick said "he's got an eye for goals" and "his movement's really good", and pointed to his strong link-up with Fernandes.
Watch: Mbeumo finishes epic corner routine
But Carrick has also played Mbeumo on the left and is enjoying the interchangeability and versatility of his attackers.
Mbeumo has three goals and an assist in Carrick’s five games – two goals as centre-forward and a goal and assist from the wing.
Solid foundations
The attacking, easy-on-the-eye football has been built on solid defensive foundations.
Harry Maguire has been brought back into the team – starting all five of Carrick’s matches after falling out of favour under Amorim – and has been instrumental in restoring the defensive solidity and organisation that had been lacking.
Under Carrick, Man Utd have conceded on average a goal per game – compared to 1.5 under Amorim – and are facing fewer shots, resulting in a lower Expected Goals Conceded (xGC), which measures the likelihood of conceding.
Maguire told TNT Sports that, from his perspective, being more comfortable defending the box was "the main thing that has improved" in the early games under Carrick.
"We defended our box nowhere near well enough," Maguire said before the West Ham game. "Every time the ball went in the box, they had a chance, but in the last three games there has been more urgency.
"Not just from the defenders, but from the midfielders, from the wide men getting back in and the striker protecting the edge of the box."