Are Manchester United too reliant on Michael Carrick?

Manchester United were left red faced following another defeat at Goodison Park.

This is their second successive loss – following a 1-0 loss to Chelsea – after such a good run of games. One name was mentioned over and over again: midfield maestro Michael Carrick. But do Manchester United rely too heavily on him?

With Carrick unavailable to play against Everton due to injury, Daley Blind had to step in. Blind has been playing more of a defensive role in recent weeks – as a make shift left back – but was signed as a midfielder. The two are rarely played together as they are thought to be too similar in their styles of play.

It’s plain to see Blind just is not at Carrick’s standards as a midfielder just yet – clearly down to his extremely brief Premier League experience in comparison.

Manchester United have been adamant they are not a one man team for years upon years, even when they had the likes of Ronaldo. But how can they seemingly crumble without one man? Manchester United’s win ratio is around 20% lower without Michael Carrick – which accounts for much more than the Everton clash.

At 33, soon to be 34, Michael Carrick will not be around forever. If anything, United will be lucky to have him for another two or three years. What happens when he decides to retire from football? Will Manchester United struggle on, and find it difficult to create chances?

The man to replace the undroppable Michael Carrick is thought to be Borussia Dortmund’s Ilkay Gundogan. With Jurgen Klopp out of the picture, snagging Gundogan is sure to be somewhat easy.

It is amazing to have such an influential player who makes his side better – but this is also cause for concern. Manchester United cannot afford any more defeats before the close of the season; with or without Michael Carrick.

United fans. How vital is Michael Carrick for you? Let us know your thoughts below, become a guest blogger or tweet us @LaFootyettes.