Rio Ferdinand Challenges Michael Carrick to Revamp Manchester United's Attack

Rio Ferdinand has laid down a clear challenge to Michael Carrick: change the attack, or watch Manchester United’s season drift.

United limp into the international break with five points from five Premier League games, 12th in the table after a laboured draw at Fulham and already out of the Carabao Cup at the first hurdle for the second year running. Three weeks without a game now stretch in front of Carrick – three weeks of uncomfortable questions.

One of those questions has come from a former teammate who knows the club’s standards better than most.

Ferdinand’s call: Rashford through the middle

Looking at a United side that looks blunt and passive without the ball, Ferdinand believes a simple switch could at least jolt the forward line into life. He wants Marcus Rashford moved inside as the central striker, with Matheus Cunha shifted out to the left.

It’s a direct challenge to Carrick’s current blueprint. The manager has stuck with Cunha as his No.9, even though the Brazilian is far more naturally a roaming forward than a penalty-box reference point. Rashford, recently reintegrated into the squad over the summer, has been used wider and is still waiting for his first goal or assist of the campaign.

Ferdinand’s logic is clear: put defenders under a different kind of stress. Rashford’s pace and willingness to run in behind offers a threat through the middle that United have barely shown so far. Cunha, operating from the left, could drive at full-backs, link play and arrive in the box late rather than wrestle centre-halves with his back to goal.

Right now, those centre-halves are having it too easy.

A team not running, a season not moving

The numbers are damning. In the Premier League this season, United sit 20th for distance covered at high intensity, 20th for time spent at high intensity, 20th for sprints, 20th for time spent sprinting, and 17th for percentage of time walking out of possession, according to Sky.

That’s not just a tactical quirk. It looks like a team that doesn’t press, doesn’t bite, and doesn’t scare opponents when they lose the ball. For a club built on energy and aggression, it’s a jarring sight.

The lack of sharpness off the ball is feeding into a lack of conviction on it. United’s attacking play has been predictable, easy to contain, and short on the kind of direct, ruthless running that once defined Rashford at his best.

The Sesko question

All of this plays out against another puzzle: Benjamin Sesko. The out-and-out striker, signed to be a focal point, has yet to start a league game this season despite a strong record under Carrick in all competitions.

While Cunha has finally opened his Premier League account with a late equaliser at Craven Cottage, Sesko remains on the fringes, watching a misfiring attack from the bench. It’s a bold call from Carrick, and one that will attract more scrutiny if goals continue to dry up.

Ferdinand hasn’t pushed for Sesko specifically, but his suggestion underlines the same theme: United’s current attacking structure isn’t working. Something has to give.

Tottenham next – and no hiding place

When United return from the break, they face a home clash with Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday, October 10. On paper, it looks like an opportunity: Spurs are still searching for their first win of the campaign.

In reality, it’s a trap game. A restless Old Trafford, a visiting side desperate to kick-start their season, and a manager under pressure to show he can adapt.

Carrick now has time on the training ground, time in the video room, time with his staff. He also has a very public nudge from Rio Ferdinand ringing in his ears.

Will he rip up the front line, push Rashford into the middle, free Cunha on the left and finally unleash Sesko from the start? Or will he double down on a system that already looks stuck in first gear?