🔍 What’s Really Going On at Old Trafford? Mount, Zirkzee and Šeško Struggling for Minutes

🔍 What’s Really Going On at Old Trafford? Mount, Zirkzee and Šeško Struggling for Minutes

Questions are beginning to pile up at Old Trafford, and they’re getting harder to ignore.

Mason Mount, Joshua Zirkzee and Benjamin Šeško have all struggled for consistent playing time under Michael Carrick, raising familiar concerns among supporters. Not long ago, similar questions were being asked about Kobbie Mainoo, Zirkzee and Šeško under Ruben Amorim. So what’s actually happening at Manchester United?
At the heart of the issue is system over individuals. Carrick, much like Amorim before him, appears deeply committed to a tactical framework that prioritizes control, structure, and game management.

That has benefited certain profiles — disciplined midfielders, high-work-rate forwards, and players trusted to execute specific instructions — but it has limited opportunities for others who thrive on freedom, rhythm, or extended runs of games.

Take Mason Mount. On paper, he should be tailor-made for Carrick’s approach: intelligent pressing, positional awareness, and technical quality. In reality, Mount has struggled to nail down a defined role. He’s often caught between positions — not quite a deep midfielder, not consistently an advanced creator — and without a settled run of starts, his influence has faded. Injuries haven’t helped, but even when fit, he hasn’t looked like a central figure in Carrick’s plans.

Joshua Zirkzee’s situation is slightly different. His profile as a link-up striker who drops deep and connects play is attractive, but Carrick’s system often demands forwards who press relentlessly and attack space aggressively.

Zirkzee’s strengths lie in subtlety and intelligence rather than constant intensity, which may explain why he’s been used sparingly or in short bursts. Without consistent minutes, it’s difficult for a forward like him to build confidence or rhythm.

Then there’s Benjamin Šeško, arguably the most puzzling case. A physically dominant striker with pace and finishing ability, Šeško looks like the type of forward United have lacked for years.

Yet he’s found himself on the fringes, often overlooked in favor of more experienced or tactically trusted options. Carrick may view him as a long-term project rather than an immediate solution, but in a squad crying out for goals, that patience is being questioned.
The comparison with Ruben Amorim’s tenure is telling.

Under Amorim, fans asked why Mainoo, Zirkzee and Šeško weren’t trusted. Now, under Carrick, the names have changed slightly, but the pattern feels familiar. That suggests the issue may be structural rather than personal. United’s managers appear constrained by the same pressures: the demand for immediate results, fear of costly mistakes, and a club culture that punishes risk-taking.

Another factor is selection conservatism. Both Amorim and Carrick have leaned toward players they trust defensively and tactically, sometimes at the expense of attacking fluidity or youth development. In tight Premier League matches, managers often choose safety over experimentation — but over time, that can stall the growth of high-potential players.

So what’s happening at Old Trafford? In short, United are stuck between rebuilding and competing.

The club wants progression without instability, but that middle ground often leads to talented players being underused. Until there’s a clearer commitment to either trusting youth and new signings through inconsistency, or fully reshaping the system around them, these questions will keep coming.
And fans will keep asking: if not now, then when?

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Questions are growing at Old Trafford as Mason Mount, Joshua Zirkzee and Benjamin Šeško struggle for playing time under Michael Carrick, echoing similar concerns from the Ruben Amorim era.