Michael Carrick is arguably one of the most underrated players to have ever graced the Premier League, let alone Manchester United.
The artist playing in the defensive midfield role made 464 appearances for the Red Devils before leaving in 2018.
For context of just how unbelievably talented he truly was, even Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola said, “He’s one of the best holding midfielders I’ve ever seen in my life.”
So, have they replaced him? Arguably not. Let's take a look at a defensive midfield target who could fill the void left by Carrick, a player who has has plenty of similarities to a certain Declan Rice.
Man Utd’s quest to find a defensive midfielder
According to a report from journalist Shaun Connolly, Man Utd are interested in signing Ben Sheaf from Coventry City.
The midfielder joined the Championship club permanently in 2021 after coming through the ranks at Arsenal.
It’s mentioned that the Englishman “impressed” all season, as well as against the Red Devils at Wembley in the FA Cup.
Sheaf wouldn’t exactly break the bank, as a fee of £21m would secure his services this summer, which is an indication of the type of signing Ratcliffe will look to make.
How Sheaf compares to Carrick and Rice
Six years on from his exit, Man United still haven’t been able to acquire a midfielder of a similar class and standard to Carrick.
Even The Athletic produced an article on the absence of a replacement for the former United icon, saying that a whole host of attributes have been missing since his departure.
Those were listed as: “Passing ability, vision, controlling of the tempo, understanding of the game, and positioning in and out of possession.”
It’s quite clear that almost every attribute mentioned above is key for a number six, and Sheaf could just serve as the solution to United’s Carrick dilemma.
As you can see below, Sheaf has plenty of characteristics that mirror those of the current Middlesbrough manager.
Touches
76.5
71.8
64.7
Passes completed
49.9
53.1
48.4
Pass accuracy
85%
91%
86%
Passes completed (Opp half)
28.3
31.2
29
Tackles
3.4
2.2
1.5
Interceptions
1.4
1.2
1.6
Duels won
6.4
4.1
2.9
Firstly, they are both extremely technical players who are able to dictate the tempo of play and control a game with ease, whether that’s using one-touch passes or baiting a press with touches.
The duo also retain the ball brilliantly, as shown by their pass accuracy, and they’re not afraid to step further forward to make their team more dominant and even serve as a threat from range, as shown by their completed passes in the opposition half and the clip below.
On the other hand, Sheaf and Carrick also provide plenty of defensive security, not only because of their ability to execute defensive actions but also because of their reading of the game.
Another vital aspect of the Coventry midfielder's game is that he is a “monster” when it comes to winning the ball back, as per football writer Raj Chohan.
He also said that Sheaf is “Rice-esque” in terms of his ability to cover ground with ease, and the statistics further highlight their similarities, in terms of defensive dominance and technical class.
This in particular has been a huge issue at United this season, with Casemiro lacking the athleticism to match the speed of the Premier League, as shown by the fact he was dribbled past 2.2 times per game last season.
Overall, Sheaf would be a fantastic signing, and he has everything that a Premier League side would want in a defensive midfielder. Could he just become the new Carrick and United's very own Rice?
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