Manchester United have experienced significant change in direction following the departure of Ruben Amorim and the arrival of Michael Carrick.

The two managers have different ideas about how the team should approach matches, from their shape in possession to the way they try to create scoring opportunities.

Amorim favoured a system built around three centre-backs and attacking wing-backs, demanding plenty of movement and running from players in wide areas.

Carrick, meanwhile, has placed greater emphasis on possession, quick combinations and finding ways to break down opposition defences.

His training sessions have also featured shorter drills with greater intensity and more individual work.

One player who experienced both approaches at Carrington was James Overy, the Australian right-back who joined United’s academy in 2024 after leaving Perth Glory.

The defender progressed through the club’s youth ranks and earned opportunities to train with the senior squad under Amorim before eventually experiencing Carrick’s methods.

Defender sold by Manchester United last month reveals differences between Ruben Amorim and Michael Carrick

James Overy has now offered an insight into the contrasting training methods of Amorim and Carrick, explaining that the former prioritised the physical side of the game while the latter focused more heavily on technical and tactical work.

Speaking to Suited and Booted TV on YouTube, Overy explained that Amorim’s sessions involved considerably more running because of the demands placed on his wing-backs.

“An Amorim session consisted of more running, because of the wing-backs,” he said, describing how the sessions moved into running exercises and shooting drills.

Carrick’s approach was different, with more attention given to keeping possession, playing one or two touches and working out how to dismantle an opponent’s defensive structure.

Overy described the pair as “two completely different managers”, adding that Amorim concentrated more on the physical demands of football, whereas Carrick’s sessions were more tactical and technical.

The distinction reflects their contrasting footballing philosophies.

Amorim’s 3-4-3 system relied on wing-backs providing width and making repeated forward runs, while his team often needed to work through carefully rehearsed positional patterns.

Carrick has spoken about wanting United to attack in different ways, maintain unpredictability and use combinations and forward runs to exploit spaces.

Overy’s experience is particularly interesting because he was training with United’s first team while still developing as an academy player.

He first joined a senior session in May 2025, having endured a serious Achilles injury that required around eight months of rehabilitation.

By November that year, Australia manager Tony Popovic confirmed the defender was being called up to first-team training more regularly.

However, Overy’s time at United came to an end in 2026.

After two years at the club, he returned to Australia and signed a three-year deal with Sydney FC, describing the decision to leave as an emotional one after growing up supporting United.

The young defender also revealed that injury limited his exposure to Carrick’s methods, having trained under the current United manager only a couple of times.

Nevertheless, those sessions left a positive impression on him.