Photo via BBC Sport

Carrick wants more Man Utd clean sheets to turn season around

Manchester United manager Michael Carrick has emphasized the need for defensive improvement as his side continues to struggle with conceding goals. United have managed just one clean sheet in their last ten games, including a solitary shutout against Sabah FK in the Champions League last month.

The issue extends beyond this season, with Carrick’s team recording only six clean sheets in 17 matches under his tenure last term, a stark contrast to the nine kept under his predecessor, Ruben Amorim, during the previous campaign. The defensive instability is further highlighted by the lack of continuity in the backline, with Carrick naming the same starting four only once in recent weeks—Diogo Dalot, Harry Maguire, Lisandro Martínez, and Luke Shaw—before Shaw’s fitness issues derailed that consistency.

With Shaw sidelined for an extended period and Leny Yoro suspended, United’s defensive resources are stretched thin, compounded by injuries to key players like Matthijs de Ligt, who returned from a long-term absence but was ultimately unused in the latest matchup. The club’s failure to address the left-back position meaningfully over the summer has left them vulnerable, with Shaw’s absence potentially pushing the tally of missed games into double digits before his return.

Meanwhile, rivals like Arsenal have shown defensive resilience, keeping seven clean sheets in their first 11 matches this season, underscoring the gap United must close to regain stability at the back.

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