Man Utd warned that £52m star will 'struggle' under Michael Carrick

Michael Carrick has stepped into the Manchester United dugout (Picture: Getty)

Paul Parker fears that Leny Yoro ’s lack of athleticism could see the centre-back ‘struggle’ under Manchester United ’s new interim boss Michael Carrick .

The former United midfielder has taken the reins at Old Trafford until the end of the season after the club decided to sack Ruben Amorim.

Carrick, who spent three years in charge at Middlesbrough before being sacked in the summer, has previously undertaken an interim spell at United, winning two of his three games during a short spell in late 2021.

But the 44-year-old now returns to the club for an extended stint, with United set to delay any permanent appointment until the summer.

Carrick is likely to move away from Ruben Amorim’s 3-4-3-formation, having relied on a possession-heavy 4-2-3-1 approach during his time at Boro.

And while that change of formation might be a welcome relief to fans, Parker believes that not every player in the squad will be suited to such a front-footed approach.

In particular, the former United full-back believes that taking Yoro out of a back three could expose some of the weaknesses that have been present in the young Frenchman’s game since his £52million move from Lyon in 2024.

Leny Yoro struggled against Brighton in the FA Cup (Picture: Getty)

Paul Parker has concerns about the French defender under Carrick (Picture: Getty)

‘I think Yoro struggles in Carrick’s system, I really do,’ Parker told Metro via online gambling australia . ‘I haven’t seen anything yet on a consistent basis. I’ve seen more consistency from (Ayden) Heaven than what I have from Yoro.

‘I think the back five covered him in the wide area. He had that little bit of cover in there. But I’ve seen him in a four, and once he’s exposed, he looks like he’s treading water all the time.

‘He’s not the quickest, not the greatest of athletes. And I just look at what I saw against Brighton , and it’s a concern.

‘If we’re talking about centre-halves to ones, there are three capable centre-halves that United have got: Heaven, then there’s Martinez, and you look at De Ligt, who is a natural leader. Those are the three.’

Parker also has doubts about Patrick Dorgu and Diogo Dalot (Picture: Getty)

And elsewhere along the defensive line, Parker has concerns that United’s current crop of full-backs is not up to standard for Carrick’s tactics either.

‘Luke Shaw hasn’t got the agility, and hasn’t really got the defensive prowess that he might have had when he was younger and pre-injuries as well,’ Parker added.

‘Everything he does now gives away too many fouls through the fact of not wanting to run that far, to be perfectly honest.

‘I look at (Patrick) Dorgu, and he just doesn’t do enough. You just don’t get enough of him over 90 minutes. I don’t really know what his great strength is, to be perfectly honest.

@metrosportuk Is Carrick a good choice for United? 🤷‍♂️ Manchester United legend Michael Carrick has reportedly emerged as the favourite to step in as caretaker manager for the Red Devils following Ruben Amorim’s sacking, is it actually a good idea to bring him in? #carrick #manchesterunited #middlesbrough #premierleague #championship ♬ original sound - Metro Sport

Mainoo could be reborn following Amorim's exit (Picture: Getty)

‘And (Diogo) Dalot at right back, I think it’s just done its time, to be perfectly honest. He’s been all over the park, and there are too many unnecessary, unaided mistakes.’

Parker, though, is hopeful that Carrick’s interim spell could be a real positive for the younger players in United’s squad, who were not always entrusted with regular minutes under Amorim.

‘I’d like to think that he’ll come in there and he’ll be looking at Manchester United and say they’ve got to rebuild,’ he said.

‘He’ll be looking at rebuilding where I think he’ll get a lot of respect for, and that’s using the players who have got a little bit more longevity within themselves.

‘So I’m looking at Heaven in the heart of defence, and you also have to look at Mainoo. It’s a huge opportunity for him after what went down and how things were going for him under Amorim.’

United return to Premier League action on Saturday as Carrick hosts arch-rivals Manchester City for his game in interim charge.

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