Gary Neville has urged Manchester United manager Michael Carrick to stop using one of his attacking stars in the wrong position, warning that the tactical decision could limit the player’s impact at Old Trafford.
Manchester United have entered a new chapter under Carrick, but questions about how best to use their expensive attacking talent continue to dominate the conversation around the club.
The Red Devils invested heavily in their forward line, bringing together players including Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko. The challenge for Carrick is now finding the right balance between those players and ensuring each is used where he can make the biggest contribution.
For Cambodian football fans following the Premier League, this is one of the most interesting tactical questions surrounding Manchester United this season.
Neville Wants Carrick to Find the Right Role
Gary Neville has never been shy about offering his opinion on Manchester United’s tactical decisions.
The former United captain believes Carrick must be careful not to repeat mistakes made by previous managers, particularly when it comes to asking players to perform roles that do not naturally suit them.
That concern has become increasingly relevant as Carrick attempts to establish his preferred structure.
United have generally operated with a 4-2-3-1 system, giving Bruno Fernandes the No. 10 role while creating competition across the attacking positions. Recent reporting has identified Cunha as a player who can operate centrally or from wider areas, while Sesko provides a more traditional centre-forward option.
🔴 Neville’s message is simple: United need to play their best attackers in their best positions.
Why Position Matters So Much at Manchester United
At the highest level, the difference between playing a player in his natural position and asking him to adapt can be enormous.
A forward who is comfortable receiving the ball between the lines may become less effective when pushed too far forward.
A winger who thrives when attacking from the flank can lose some of his strengths when asked to play as a central striker.
And a creative No. 10 can become less influential if he is repeatedly required to operate deeper in midfield.
That is particularly important for Manchester United because their attacking players have different profiles.
Matheus Cunha’s Versatility Is Both a Strength and a Problem
Cunha is one of the most versatile forwards in United’s squad.
He can operate behind a striker, from the left side or through the middle. His movement, pressing and ability to carry the ball make him difficult for opponents to track.
However, versatility can sometimes become a disadvantage.
Because Cunha can play several positions, managers can be tempted to move him around whenever the team needs a solution.
That may help the team in the short term, but it can prevent a player from developing consistency in one role.
Previous analysis has similarly highlighted that Cunha tends to be more comfortable when he can drop deeper rather than functioning as a traditional No. 9.
Carrick Has Several Attacking Options
Carrick is fortunate to have more attacking quality than some of his predecessors.
The problem is that having several talented players does not automatically make selection easier.
Benjamin Sesko offers height, physical presence and a natural centre-forward profile.
Matheus Cunha brings creativity, movement and versatility.
Bryan Mbeumo provides pace, direct running and a goal threat from wide or central positions.
Bruno Fernandes remains the team’s main creative reference point.
The manager therefore has to decide how these players fit together rather than simply selecting all of them and hoping their individual quality solves the problem.
United’s Attack Has Already Shown Its Potential
Despite the tactical debate, Carrick’s attack has already produced some encouraging moments.
United defeated Ipswich Town 5-2, with Bruno Fernandes scoring a hat-trick and providing an assist for Mbeumo. Neville praised Fernandes after that performance, describing him as one of United’s best signings of the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era.
Mbeumo has also demonstrated his goalscoring ability.
The Cameroon international scored against Everton, while Sesko also found the net in the same match as United eventually drew 2-2.
That makes the tactical argument more complicated.
The issue is not that Carrick has no attacking weapons.
It is whether he can consistently put those weapons in situations where they can hurt opponents.
Sesko Could Change the Equation
One of the biggest decisions for Carrick concerns Sesko.
The Slovenian striker was signed to provide United with a genuine No. 9 option, but Carrick has sometimes preferred other attacking combinations.
Paul Scholes recently questioned the decision to leave Sesko out of the starting XI against Everton, arguing that United need a natural centre-forward.
That criticism highlights the bigger tactical question.
If Sesko starts as the striker, where should Cunha play?
And where does that leave Mbeumo?
Those decisions could determine whether United’s attacking unit becomes one of the most dangerous in the Premier League or another collection of talented individuals struggling to find the right chemistry.
Neville’s Warning Goes Beyond One Player
The importance of Neville’s criticism is therefore bigger than simply asking Carrick to move one player.
It is about building a clear attacking structure.
Manchester United cannot continue relying on individual moments from Fernandes, Cunha, Mbeumo or Sesko every week.
They need combinations.
They need players to understand where teammates will be.
They need runners behind the defence, a striker occupying centre-backs and creative players receiving the ball in dangerous areas.
Most importantly, they need their best players to understand exactly what is expected from them.
Image Suggestion 2: Manchester United’s Attacking Trio
A second image could feature Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko together in Manchester United colours, preferably with a tactical 4-2-3-1 graphic showing possible positions.
Alternative text: Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko compete for attacking positions at Manchester United.
This image would work particularly well in the section discussing Carrick’s selection dilemma.
Carrick Has Already Shown Tactical Flexibility
There is another side to the argument.
Carrick has demonstrated that he is willing to adjust his team according to the players available and the opponent.
His current 4-2-3-1 structure has given Bruno Fernandes a clear role behind the striker, while allowing the attacking players to rotate around him. Current reporting also suggests that Cunha and Mbeumo remain important parts of Carrick’s attacking plans.
That flexibility could ultimately work in United’s favour.
The key is making sure flexibility does not become uncertainty.
Players need to know their responsibilities.
If a player spends one match as a No. 9, another on the left and another deeper in midfield, maintaining rhythm can become difficult.
Manchester United Cannot Afford Another Tactical Experiment
United supporters have endured several years of tactical changes.
Different managers have introduced different systems, formations and positional demands.
Carrick therefore faces a major challenge: provide stability while still getting the best out of a squad that has been rebuilt over several transfer windows.
Neville’s criticism reflects a wider concern among United supporters.
The club does not simply need another tactical experiment.
It needs a system that makes sense for the players already available.
The Manchester Derby Could Provide the Answer
Carrick now faces one of his biggest tests of the season.
Manchester United’s next major Premier League challenge is the Manchester derby, giving the manager an immediate opportunity to demonstrate whether his tactical approach can compete against elite opposition.
Recent reports note that United have made a mixed start to the Premier League campaign, while their 4-0 Champions League victory over Sabah provided a confidence boost ahead of the derby.
The derby could therefore reveal whether Carrick’s attacking structure is ready for a much higher level of pressure.
For Cambodian football fans, it will be a particularly fascinating match to watch because United’s attacking selection will tell us a great deal about Carrick’s long-term plans.
Final Verdict: Carrick Must Get His Attack Right
Gary Neville’s warning should not automatically be interpreted as proof that Carrick is making a major tactical mistake.
Football is rarely that simple.
But the former United captain has identified a genuine issue that every manager faces when working with versatile attacking players: just because a player can play somewhere does not mean he should play there.
Manchester United have invested heavily in their attack.
Now Carrick has to make those investments work together.
If he can establish clear roles for Cunha, Mbeumo, Sesko and Fernandes, United could have a dangerous attacking unit.
If he continues moving players around without a settled structure, their individual quality could be wasted.
🔴 For United, the message from Neville is clear: stop asking players to be something they are not — and build the attack around what they do best.
