Mourinho must look for man to replace Carrick
JOSE Mourinho’s priority this summer must be to find a successor to Michael Carrick.
In a season in which the veteran midfielder has made just three appearances - and had to wait until February to play in the Premier League for the first time - it could be argued that United are already 12 months too late in addressing the issue.
Not for the first time in his United career, Carrick is only truly being appreciated when he’s not in the team.
The ultimate unsung hero, the 36-year-old has made an art out of flying under the radar.
But his importance to Mourinho’s side cannot be underestimated - and replacing him in the current market could cost more than the world record £89m it took to bring Paul Pogba back to Old Trafford.
Pogba has suffered most from Carrick’s absence this season, due to a heart condition that ruled him out from September to January.
Carrick is a player long-considered within the dressing room as one who makes his teammates better. Intelligent, with an acute understanding of his defensive responsibilities, he fills gaps when his teammates look to attack.
His vision and accuracy mean he rarely wastes a pass - while his commitment to play the ball forward at every opportunity was key to keeping United on the attack under Sir Alex Ferguson.
Robin van Persie took the plaudits for Ferguson’s final title-winning team - but many within the club acknowledged Carrick’s vital role having finally succeeded Paul Scholes as the United’s chief midfield creator.
“He is one of the best holding midfielders I’ve ever seen in my life by far,” said Pep Guardiola last season. “He’s the level of Xabi Alonso, Sergio Busquets in Barcelona and Munich.”
That says everything about the task ahead of Mourinho at the end of a season when Carrick is expected to retire.
Alonso has already hung up his boots - and good luck convincing Barca to sell Busquets.
Mourinho has identified Arturo Vidal as a potential midfield target in the summer - but the Chilean is not a direct replacement for Carrick.
Vidal’s former Juventus teammate Andrea Pirlo more closely resembles the former England international in terms of composure, technique and a football brain. And that is the problem for Mourinho, who recognises that he just isn’t getting the best out of his midfield at present.
Compare United’s engine room to City’s and it is the difference between being champions-elect, sitting 16 points clear, and facing a battle to hold on to second place.
In Fernandinho, David Silva and Kevin de Bruyne, Guardiola has a perfectly oiled machine that retains possession and rotates the ball to the point that the opposition is passed into submission.
Mourinho has the makings of a lethal midfield. In Pogba he has a schemer blessed with power and athleticism - but a player desperately seeking the perfect partner.
Nemanja Matic is a tireless workhorse - a ball-winner who keeps possession - but he is missing a Carrick to lay off to and dictate play. A player who is always in the right position, finds the right angles to release his teammates and generally elevate those around him.
Looking across the European landscape, perhaps one name fits that description - Toni Kroos.
David Moyes famously thought he’d secured the services of the former Bayern Munich midfielder before his United career was brought to an abrupt end.
Now at Real Madrid and pivotal to back-to-back Champions League triumphs - getting him out of the Bernabeu could be mission impossible. But perhaps the level of upheaval set to be undertaken by the Spanish giants this summer could present a glimmer of hope to Mourinho.
Potential moves for Harry Kane and Eden Hazard will need to be funded somehow - and a sizeable offer for Kroos could be tempting to Real president Florentino Perez.
And it is that type of ambitious thinking that will be necessary when it comes to filling the void left by such a vital player in Carrick.