If you look at the choices Michael Carrick’s made since taking over at Manchester United, there’s a clear theme: keep it simple. He’s gone back to basics, putting players in spots where they actually feel comfortable and can do their thing.

Take Bruno Fernandes, for example. He’s back where he belongs, pulling the strings as an attacking midfielder. Kobbie Mainoo, one of the brightest young midfielders around, is finally getting a real shot and showing what he can do. Then there’s Luke Shaw—England’s best left-back for years—back in his spot on the left.

These are just the obvious ones. Carrick’s basically undone a bunch of Ruben Amorim’s old tactical tweaks, and suddenly players look sharper. Diogo Dalot’s a great case. He’s finally finding his form again, and honestly, it’s just common sense. Dalot and Amorim got along well, but that plan to turn him into a world-beating wing-back never really worked. It didn’t fit his strengths, and all those switches between left and right wing just left him looking lost. Asking him to play like a winger? He never really convinced anyone that that was the answer.

Now, with Carrick in charge, Dalot’s back at right-back. Instantly, he looks more at home. He had one of his best games of the season against Fulham, getting forward, staying involved, and touching the ball more than anyone else on the pitch. Sure, sometimes that stat can be misleading—maybe Fulham just didn’t mind him having the ball out wide—but he still created chances, and you could see his confidence building again.

Earlier in the season, he took a real hit. You could feel the crowd turning on him at times, and, let’s be honest, he fell below the standard United expects. But now, if he puts together a strong finish, he might just secure his placeonn the team. Gary Neville talked about him last month and said something interesting—he thinks Dalot still has a role to play long-term.

Neville said, “He gets a really harsh view at times from United fans. I think there’s a half-decent full-back in there. I watch full-backs closely. He’s good in the air, he’s athletic, and he’s decent on the ball. He’s not world-class, but neither was I. He’s got 7/10 performances in him every week, but we’ve seen him out of position so much—left wing-back, right wing-back, exposed all the time. If he just played right-back, I wouldn’t be rushing him out the door.”

That’s not exactly a glowing review, but it’s fair. Dalot probably wants to be more than “half-decent”, but if Carrick keeps him at right-back for the rest of the season, he’ll get the chance to show what he’s really about.

United have been linked with new right-backs for a while, but honestly, that might not be a top priority this summer. They’re after two central midfielders, a left-winger, maybe a new centre-back if Maguire leaves, and another goalkeeper. Depending on the budget, the club might just stick with Dalot and Noussair Mazraoui at right-back.

If that happens, Dalot’s heading into his ninth season at Old Trafford. When he signed in 2018, Mourinho called him the best young right-back in Europe and said he could be in the side for a decade. For a while, that seemed pretty far-fetched, especially when he fell out of favour with Solskjaer. Some fans still say the fact that he’s the first choice shows United haven’t recruited well enough.

But, from what we’ve seen lately, United have bigger problems than right-back. If Dalot can keep up this run until May, keeping his spot is up to him.

Alex Iwobi had a message for Kobbie Mainoo after a run-in during Manchester United’s wild 3-2 win over Fulham. Both of them started that game, which saw Benjamin Sesko grab a late winner for Michael Carrick’s side.

United took the lead thanks to Casemiro and Matheus Cunha, but Raul Jimenez scored from the spot, and then Kevin smashed in a screamer to pull Fulham level near the end. But then Sesko, off the bench, hammered in a beauty to seal the points.

That win kept Carrick’s record perfect as interim coach—he’s already picked up big wins over Arsenal and Manchester City. The return of Amad and Bryan Mbeumo from AFCON, plus Harry Maguire finally getting back to full fitness, have all played a big part in that run.

Mainoo getting back into the starting lineup has made a real difference, too. With him in midfield alongside Casemiro, Bruno Fernandes has finally shifted back into his preferred attacking role. Mainoo’s been impressive lately, and Iwobi’s still feeling the effects of their clash last Sunday.

On his YouTube channel, Iwobi joked, “Shout out Kobbie Mainoo, but Kobbie, man… You absolutely finished my hand. This guy has Ghanaian strength!” He even held up his hand to show two of his smallest fingers taped together.

Nobody’s said exactly what Mainoo did to his hand, but judging by Iwobi’s comments, it happened during a fight for the ball—and Mainoo came out on top.

Funny thing is, just a month ago, it looked like Mainoo would be heading out on loan. Amorim had only given him a bit over 200 minutes all season. Once the old boss admitted Mainoo was directly competing with Fernandes for a spot, he barely played.

Napoli were interested in taking him on loan, and the Italian champs already have Scott McTominay and Rasmus Hojlund on their books.

But now, instead of leaving, Mainoo’s more likely to sign a contract extension this summer—the club’s ready to start talks. He’s got 18 months left on his current deal, and if Carrick sticks around, he’ll definitely want to keep him.

Carrick talked up Mainoo at a press conference the other day, especially about how he’s working with Casemiro in midfield.

“Sometimes we pigeonhole players too quickly, but it’s not always like that,” Carrick said. “Kobbie can play different roles. But with Cassie in the middle, they’ve formed a really good partnership in the last couple of games and have been huge in controlling the team.”