Football
ESPN staff 9y

Michael Carrick, Man Utd Premier League Rank, No. 29

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ESPN FC is counting down the top 50 players in the Premier League right now, as voted for by various columnists, editors and analysts. Who makes the cut? Disagree with our list? Tell us on Twitter using the hashtag #PremRank.

Why Michael Carrick makes the list

Quite simply, the keystone. It was the midfielder's former Tottenham Hotspur manager Martin Jol who once said it was possible that only he and Sir Alex Ferguson could properly see Carrick's true value, but that now seems to have totally changed. A previously understated player has now had his importance made all too clear. The realities of this season are too obvious to ignore. United finally clicked under Van Gaal when Carrick came into the team and then saw their form plummet again once he was out of it.

That is reflected in how their win percentage with him is 72 percent but 35 percent without him. While figures like that can be misapplied, it seems to so clearly relate to how United play here. Carrick's positional sense allows the back line to shape themselves in a way more conducive to Van Gaal's plan, and his astute passing provides the base from which they can properly attack. Without Carrick, United have to be more constrained and more predictable, which is fairly ironic given he is a player who so often has those adjectives applied to him. That, however, is precisely why he's so important.
-- Miguel Delaney.

The stats that tell the story

- Manchester United lost only one of 16 league games he started this season, with 12 wins and three draws.
- Completed 90 percent of his passes this season, the highest rate of any Manchester United player, and fifth-best in the league (minimum 15 games).

What the experts say

"With Carrick in the team, United's record from the 16 Premier League matches he started yields an average of 2.4 points per game, a pace that surpasses champions Chelsea. Without Carrick starting in 19 matches, Van Gaal's team have averaged 1.4 points, a pace that would have them in ninth." -- John Brewin, May 2015.

"Carrick is not a goalscorer nor a match-winner, but he's crucial to a team that wins matches." -- Andy Mitten, March 2015.

"Louis van Gaal has struggled to cope without Carrick for much of the season and will be glad to have him back. The midfielder scored one and set up another in the 3-0 win over Spurs last weekend, recycling possession in a rapid manner that United's other players hadn't managed previously this season." -- WhoScored.com, March 2015.


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