Shearer Slams Amorim's Stubbornness as Carrick's Quick Fix Transforms United

Alan Shearer has torn into former Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim's rigid approach, questioning his tactical stubbornness in light of the dramatic turnaround engineered by interim boss Michael Carrick.

Since taking charge, Carrick has steered United to consecutive victories – a commanding 2-0 triumph against Manchester City followed by a thrilling 3-2 comeback at Arsenal on Sunday – lifting the Red Devils into the Premier League's top four.

The contrast between Amorim's tenure and Carrick's early impact has already sparked debate about the permanent managerial position at Old Trafford, though Roy Keane has urged restraint, suggesting the upturn could simply be a classic new-manager bounce rather than a lasting solution.

Amorim, sacked earlier this month following a breakdown with the club's hierarchy, had refused to deviate from his preferred 3-4-3 formation despite mounting evidence it wasn't working. Carrick's switch to a 4-2-3-1 system has yielded immediate dividends.

"What on earth is Ruben Amorim sat doing, thinking, looking at those two performances?" Shearer said on The Rest Is Football podcast. "It's absolutely crazy to not change his formation. The arrogance to say, 'No, I'm not doing anything else. This is my way or the highway.'

"To not even shift or accept that this probably isn't working – maybe I should try something different. He put all his eggs into that basket, and if that didn't work, he was done. And it didn't."

Gary Neville, speaking on his Sky Sports podcast following the Arsenal victory, highlighted another key shift in thinking. The former defender pointed out that Amorim had seemingly convinced people that Kobbie Mainoo and Bruno Fernandes could not operate together in midfield – a notion Neville believes has been thoroughly disproven.

"This idea we were sort of conditioned to think – that he couldn't play with Bruno Fernandes in the team – that's wrong," Neville explained. "Kobbie Mainoo is demonstrating that he can play the two in midfield, even with Casemiro, who is getting on a little bit now, but even he looks different in this last couple.

"They play nice little passes with each other. I'm absolutely delighted with the performances."