Bryan Mbeumo has been one of the standout players since Michael Carrick returned to the Old Trafford dugout.
Under Rúben Amorim, Amad and Bryan Mbeumo were given the opportunity to play together on the right flank, with Amad playing the wider, more defensive role and Mbeumo allowed to stay further forward and play closer to the centre-forward. However, when Manchester United moved away from the 3-4-2-1, that combination was to be seen no more, or so we thought.
But when the duo returned from the African Cup of Nations – after Darren Fletcher’s interim stint had ended and Michael Carrick’s had begun – Mbeumo was moved to the central striker position, with Amad moving back to his more natural right-wing role, following 14 months as a makeshift right-wing-back.
Many thought Carrick was foolish to drop Benjamin Šeško for his first game in charge against Manchester City; a fair claim as the Slovenian had scored three goals in two games under Fletcher. But Mbeumo quickly proved them wrong with the first goal of the game in the 65th minute. That wasn’t just a flash in the pan, though.
Mbeumo has scored or assisted in all but one of Carrick’s six games in charge of United this season, with the opening goal on three occasions, and the winning or equalising assist on another two.
The Cameroon international joined the club as the third signing of the summer after Matheus Cunha and Diego Leon, and has been crucial in United’s late push for Champions League football.
Almeida reveals “fantastic” time for Mbeumo
Before Mbeumo signed for Brentford, the club which United bought him from, he was playing for Troyes in the French leagues. He was sold to the Bees for £5.8 million in 2019 after his first full season in professional football, and it was an important one.
“He was really young, but he did a fantastic season with us,” former Troyes manager Rui Almeida told The Manchester Evening News. “I think one of two points that I always say when I speak about Bryan is about him as a man, a human being. He was a fantastic boy, humble, coachable and always hungry to learn. So I think that made him progress really fast in his career. He worked a lot.
“That season was important for him because when you come from the youth team, you have the chance to establish yourself with the professionals. And in Ligue 2, we had the goal to be promoted to Ligue 1 and we failed by one point. So it’s not easy to play in the team like that, but he did it.” It wasn’t just important for his character, though. It also molded his current playstle and versatility.
Almeida continued: “From a tactical point of view, he was a clear right winger with a left foot, and we tried to put him in the middle also. And we coached him, and we pushed him to go there, and after he finished the season as a striker, a second striker, sometimes with two, sometimes with one. So it was fantastic because that was what really made the difference for him.
“We challenged him to play in the middle. And we told him what he needed to play in the middle, so really he understood that information, and of course I told him, there are many right wingers or left wingers, but a player that knows how to play the three positions, right, left and the middle, that is a player who is more complete.
“That is a player who can give many things to the team. You see it now at United. He works a lot for the group unit. He was like that from 19. Tactically, he works a lot for the team.”
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What will Carrick do on Sunday?
United have two real striking options to start the Crystal Palace game on Sunday afternoon: Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Šeško.
As they did before the Manchester Derby, many have called for Šeško to start through the middle, but that doesn’t mean Mbeumo has to drop out of the starting lineup.
Instead, Mbeumo may shift either to the left or right flank, as he has done during games for Carrick, with either Amad or Matheus Cunha forced to the bench.
Amad’s early, second-half substitution could see him make way for the big Slovenian, allowing Mbuemo to return to his natural position on the right wing.
Mbeumo’s work rate could be crucial in defending against Palace, who attack with wing-backs. Perhaps Carrick will feel Amad and Mbeumo are needed on the wings due to their willingness to trackback, although Cunha has shown improvements in this area recently, especially against Everton.
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