Michael Carrick's struggles at Manchester United have raised questions about his methods compared to predecessor Ruben Amorim, with one former star opening up about their differences

Former Manchester United prospect James Overy has lifted the lid on the differences between Michael Carrick and Ruben Amorim's coaching philosophies. The 18-year-old has the rare privilege of working under both bosses before leaving Old Trafford.

Perth-born Overy joined United's academy in 2024 and spent two years with United before departing for Sydney FC this summer. He's since revealed the contrast between Carrick and Amorim's approaches and what exactly separates the pair.

"An Amorim session consisted of more running, because obviously we played with the wing-backs," he told Suited and Booted TV. "We played with the full-backs who get up and down, which just suits me so well. And I think that's why he really took an interest in me.

"I was with them a lot more when Amorim was there, because his sessions were just transitional running and shots, whereas Carrick was a bit more like, 'Let's keep the ball, one or two-touch, five ways to break them down', they were two completely different managers.

"I think it's just the physical side [where] Amorim took more care but Carrick was more the tactical and technical side."

As a right-back, it makes sense that Overy felt more promise working under Amorim's 3-4-3 system. After all, it was the Portuguese tactician who was in charge when his talent was first spotted in the under-18s setup.

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Overy's second and final season at United saw him take a more prominent role in the under-18s squad. He was also elevated to the under-21s squad for a handful of Premier League 2 appearances, as well as facing Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund in the Premier League International Cup.

The teenager came on as a substitute in last season's derby defeat to Manchester City in the FA Youth Cup final. He's now back in Australia trying to carve out a name for himself in the A-League, where he made his debut against Western Sydney Wanderers this past weekend.

Despite the initial buzz over Carrick's appointment, he too now finds himself on the ropes at the United helm. In a familiar sequence of events, United are without a win in six games after drawing at Leeds and under increasing pressure to change manager again.

Amorim, meanwhile, is in a precarious spot at AC Milan since taking over in the summer. The Rossoneri are currently fourth in Serie A and have earned positive reviews for the brand of football being employed by the ex-Sporting CP boss, albeit not consistenly producing the desired results.

After a summer transfer window focused largely on midfield recruitment, Carrick is attempting to build with largely the same squad he finished last season. It's led some to question whether the club would have been better off backing Amorim after all, with Overy finding positives in his methods despite his dismissal.