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Pep Guardiola shares verdict on Carrick and Amorim before derby
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- Pep Guardiola shares verdict on Carrick and Amorim before derby
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Pep Guardiola has recently weighed in with his thoughts on former Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim and current interim boss Michael Carrick.
Manchester City are set to face off against Manchester United at Old Trafford on Saturday, but Pep Guardiola won't be running into Amorim again.
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Amorim was sacked by Man United last week after just 14 months in charge. The 40-year-old had previously managed Sporting CP before making the move to Old Trafford.
Following Amorim's departure, Portuguese coach Darren Fletcher stepped in as caretaker manager for two matches. His stint ended earlier this week when Michael Carrick was appointed as interim head coach.
Pep Guardiola gives his thoughts on Carrick and Amorim before the Manchester derby
Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images
Pep Guardiola has shared his thoughts on Michael Carrick and Ruben Amorim as City get ready for their trip to Old Trafford.
Carrick, back at United after his time at Middlesbrough, has stepped in to replace Amorim, who spent just over a year in charge.
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Guardiola was asked if he expected Carrick to move away from Amorim's back three system. "He played with this formation with Middlesbrough," Guardiola replied. "He played so many games, more than 100 with the same shape."
Carrick's time at Boro is likely what earned him another chance at United. Amorim's back three wasn't working out for the fans, so we can probably expect a shift to four at the back under Carrick.
And that change might actually work out well for them. It could help stabilise a team that's needed a bit of direction lately.
While things are far from perfect for United this season – finishing sixth last year and sitting seventh now – it wouldn't be fair to pin all their issues on one system or coach.
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Pep Guardiola says Man Utd boss Michael Carrick could make a bold move vs Man City
Guardiola doesn't see it as a big adjustment for United, especially if Carrick gets the right mix of players on the pitch.
"It would be easy," he said. "If you have the right players in the positions to do it, it would be easy."
"It's not like that. The players look best when the team works well and they don't look the best when it doesn't work well."
The two sides meet at Old Trafford in what will be their final league clash of the 2025-26 campaign, with kick-off set for 12:30pm.
