Manchester United manager Michael Carrick is facing sharp criticism from club legend Nicky Butt over his handling of star forward Matheus Cunha during a difficult start to the Premier League campaign.
Speaking on a recent podcast appearance, the former midfielder argued that deploying Cunha as a central number nine severely limits his effectiveness on the pitch.
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Subscribe"Playing Cunha as a nine - it kills him, he is not a nine. He is nowhere near the player he is when he is playing off the side," said Butt as cited by the Daily Mail.
Despite the mounting pressure on the team following a sluggish start and a League Cup exit, club owners INEOS reportedly maintain full backing for Carrick while injury issues continue to restrict alternative attacking options like Benjamin Sesko.
Tactical Dilemma and Injury Woes Facing United
Manchester United have struggled to find a consistent solution in the center forward position this season, leaving the technical staff with limited tactical flexibility.
Benjamin Sesko remains the primary natural choice to lead the line, but the Slovenian forward has battled persistent shin issues that have limited his involvement from the start of matches.
Alternative options such as Joshua Zirkzee have failed to convince coaching staff of their readiness to shoulder the goalscoring burden on a weekly basis.
As Carrick navigates these squad limitations, analysts expect tactical adjustments once fully fit personnel return to provide proper depth in the final third.