[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"football-site-config":3,"world-cup-status-en":27,"news-detail-michael-carrick-s-man-utd-success-why-the-numbers-demand-caution-before-a":61,"news-related-michael-carrick-s-man-utd-success-why-the-numbers-demand-caution-before-a-en":94,"news-related-match-michael-carrick-s-man-utd-success-why-the-numbers-demand-caution-before-a-en":206},{"adSlots":4,"affiliateMode":5,"brandName":6,"contentStrategy":7,"currency":8,"friendLinks":9,"homepageLayoutKey":10,"leagueFocus":11,"locale":12,"planVisibility":13,"seoDescription":14,"seoTitleTemplate":15,"siteCode":10,"siteName":6,"siteType":10,"subscriptionMode":5,"timezone":16,"id":17,"tenantID":18,"primaryDomain":19,"countryCode":20,"logoUrl":21,"faviconUrl":21,"theme":22,"seoKeywords":24,"status":25,"ads":4,"focusLeagues":26,"affiliatePolicies":26},[],"shared","Football Prediction Platform","scores_predictions","USD",[],"main",[],"en-US",[],"Football fixtures, results, free predictions, subscriptions, and clearly labeled partner links.","{page} | Football Prediction Platform","America\u002FNew_York",323900000000000000,1,"football.easytestdev.online","US","",{"primaryColor":23},"#1677ff","football predictions, football fixtures, football results","active",null,{"active":28,"leagueId":29,"leagueName":30,"leagueImagePath":31,"seasonId":32,"seasonName":33,"startingAt":34,"endingAt":35,"daysToStart":36,"daysToEnd":37,"phase":38,"includeQualifying":39,"hostCities":40},true,"326135624916537344","World Cup","https:\u002F\u002Fmedia.api-sports.io\u002Ffootball\u002Fleagues\u002F1.png","326255613308833792","2026\u002F2027","2026-06-11","2026-06-28",-37,-20,"finished_recent",false,[41,42,43,44,45,46,47,48,49,50,51,52,53,54,55,56,57,58,59,60],"Atlanta","Boston","Dallas","East Rutherford","Guadalajara","Houston","Kansas City","Los Angeles","Mexico City","Miami","Monterrey","New-York","New York New Jersey","Philadelphia","San-Francisco","San Francisco Bay Area","Seattle","Toronto","Vancouver","Zapopan",{"article":62},{"awayTeamId":63,"awayTeamName":64,"body":65,"category":66,"excerpt":67,"homeTeamId":68,"homeTeamName":69,"id":70,"leagueId":71,"leagueName":72,"matchId":73,"matchName":74,"publishedAt":75,"slug":76,"sourceName":77,"sourceURL":78,"teamId":68,"teamName":69,"teamIds":79,"teamNames":86,"title":93},"326257546392244224","Nottingham Forest","Manchester United's decision on their next permanent manager is fraught with complexity, and the case of caretaker boss Michael Carrick perfectly illustrates why. Since taking charge in January, Carrick has guided the team to 10 victories in 14 matches, accumulating more Premier League points than any other club during that period. On the surface, this record appears to make him the obvious candidate for the full-time role.\n\nHowever, a deeper statistical analysis reveals significant concerns about the sustainability of these results. While United's attack has been prolific under Carrick, their underlying performance metrics tell a different story. The team ranks only eighth in the league for chance creation based on expected goals (xG), yet they boast the highest shot conversion rate. This indicates they have scored approximately seven more goals than historical models would predict from the quality of chances created—the largest such overperformance in the division.\n\nThis pattern of overperformance extends to the defensive end as well. Goalkeeper Senne Lammens has prevented 2.8 more goals than expected based on the shots he has faced, a figure surpassed only by Bournemouth's Djordje Petrovic and Nottingham Forest's Matz Sels. When combining attacking and defensive overperformance, only Nottingham Forest, also benefiting from a 'new manager bounce' under Vitor Pereira, have exceeded their xG numbers by a greater margin than United since Carrick's appointment.\n\nThe clinical finishing has been a team-wide phenomenon. Three of the six most efficient finishers in the Premier League since mid-January play for Manchester United. Matheus Cunha trails only Forest's Morgan Gibbs-White in ruthlessness, while Benjamin Sesko and Casemiro have also enjoyed hot streaks in front of goal. While Carrick deserves credit for unlocking this efficiency, history suggests such individual and collective finishing form rarely persists indefinitely.\n\nComparing Carrick's tenure to that of his predecessor, Amorim, highlights a key shift. The improvement in results stems primarily from enhanced efficiency in both penalty areas—better finishing and better goalkeeping—rather than a fundamental dominance of matches. In fact, United have taken two fewer shots per game under Carrick and conceded slightly more than they did under the Portuguese manager, who was dismissed with the team sixth in the table, level on points with fifth-placed Chelsea.\n\nThis distinction is critical because historical data strongly correlates long-term success with a team's ability to consistently create better chances than their opponents, measured by xG difference. An analysis of the 200 teams that have competed in the Premier League over the past decade shows that those with the best xG numbers contend for titles, while those with the worst face relegation. United's current performance under Carrick does not place them in the elite category of chance dominance.\n\nThe league has already provided cautionary examples this season of teams whose results eventually regressed to match their underlying numbers. Aston Villa and Sunderland both defied their xG profiles to sit high in the table at the halfway mark—Villa third and the promoted Black Cats seventh—thanks to exceptional long-range finishing and outstanding goalkeeping from Robin Roefs respectively. As the season progressed, Villa's long-range shooting cooled and Roefs faced more challenges, causing both teams' results to decline even as their overall performance levels remained stable or improved.\n\nThis precedent presents a clear warning for Manchester United's decision-makers. If Carrick's team continues to rely on overperformance in finishing and shot-stopping without improving their fundamental chance creation and suppression, the good results are likely to dissipate. The positive atmosphere generated by the current winning run could quickly sour, potentially leaving the club searching for yet another new manager before the end of next season.\n\nThe upcoming summer transfer window offers a potential pathway for Carrick to address these underlying issues. An influx of new players could allow him to implement a tactical system that improves the team's xG profile, creating a more sustainable foundation for success. However, this would require a significant evolution from the current approach that has delivered short-term results but long-term statistical red flags.\n\nUltimately, the Manchester United hierarchy must look beyond the impressive points tally and evaluate whether Carrick possesses the strategic vision to build a team that can dominate matches consistently over a full season. The caretaker has proven he can motivate players and achieve immediate results, but the club's ambition requires a manager who can deliver sustained success built on solid performance fundamentals. Based on reporting from BBC Sport.","news","Michael Carrick's caretaker tenure at Manchester United has produced impressive results, but underlying statistics suggest the performance may not be sustainable long-term.","326257545712766976","Manchester United","328173306790285313","326135625054949376","Premier League","327054566501650432","Manchester United vs Nottingham Forest","2026-05-08T12:06:06Z","michael-carrick-s-man-utd-success-why-the-numbers-demand-caution-before-a","BBC Sport","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fsport\u002Ffootball\u002Farticles\u002Fczd2nel67n4o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss",[68,63,80,81,82,83,84,85],"326257545968619520","326257545792458752","326257546425798656","326257546459353088","326257545918287872","326257546220277760",[69,64,87,88,89,90,91,92],"Arsenal","Bournemouth","Aston Villa","Sunderland","Liverpool","Chelsea","Michael Carrick's Man Utd Success: Why the Numbers Demand Caution Before a Permanent Appointment",[95,126,156,183],{"awayTeamId":-1,"awayTeamName":-1,"body":-1,"category":66,"excerpt":96,"homeTeamId":-1,"homeTeamName":-1,"id":97,"leagueId":71,"leagueName":72,"matchId":98,"matchName":21,"publishedAt":99,"slug":100,"sourceName":101,"sourceURL":102,"teamId":103,"teamName":104,"teamIds":105,"teamNames":115,"title":125},"Pierre Sage is set to join Crystal Palace after leading Lens to Coupe de France glory. Sporting director Jean-Louis Leca must now find a successor and reshape","338193111534538753","0","2026-06-05T03:15:00Z","pierre-sage-to-crystal-palace-what-it-means-for-lens","L'Equipe","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.lequipe.fr\u002FFootball\u002FArticle\u002FPierre-sage-sur-le-depart-jean-louis-leca-le-directeur-sportif-de-lens-va-avoir-plusieurs-chantiers-a-gerer\u002F1681831#at_medium=RSS_feeds","326257536443355136","Lens",[103,106,107,108,109,110,111,112,113,114],"326255037950988288","326257535952621568","326257572367568896","326257602382008320","326222711447621632","326257536049090560","326222712726884352","326222711682502656","326257844615647232",[104,116,117,118,119,120,121,122,123,124],"Crystal Palace","Marseille","Le Mans","Vitesse","France","Nice","Cape Verde Islands","England","Ajaccio","Pierre Sage to Crystal Palace: What It Means for Lens",{"awayTeamId":-1,"awayTeamName":-1,"body":-1,"category":66,"excerpt":127,"homeTeamId":-1,"homeTeamName":-1,"id":128,"leagueId":71,"leagueName":72,"matchId":98,"matchName":21,"publishedAt":129,"slug":130,"sourceName":131,"sourceURL":132,"teamId":133,"teamName":134,"teamIds":135,"teamNames":145,"title":155},"Chris Wood's serious knee injury clouds New Zealand's World Cup hopes as the All Whites face Iran, Egypt, and Belgium in Group G.","338128485845307393","2026-06-04T23:01:18Z","new-zealand-s-2026-world-cup-bid-wood-injury-a-major-doubt","The Guardian","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.theguardian.com\u002Ffootball\u002F2026\u002Fjun\u002F05\u002Fnew-zealand-world-cup-2026-team-guide","326222713104371712","New Zealand",[133,63,136,137,138,139,140,141,142,143,144],"326257595583041536","326222712622026752","326257808754348032","326257660145963008","326222711976103936","326257545754710016","326222712013852672","326222712265510912","326222711401484288",[134,64,146,147,148,149,150,151,152,153,154],"New Caledonia","South Africa","Northampton","Motherwell","Australia","Newcastle","Iran","Egypt","Belgium","New Zealand's 2026 World Cup Bid: Wood Injury a Major Doubt",{"awayTeamId":-1,"awayTeamName":-1,"body":-1,"category":66,"excerpt":157,"homeTeamId":-1,"homeTeamName":-1,"id":158,"leagueId":71,"leagueName":72,"matchId":98,"matchName":21,"publishedAt":159,"slug":160,"sourceName":131,"sourceURL":161,"teamId":162,"teamName":163,"teamIds":164,"teamNames":173,"title":182},"Spain 1-1 Iraq: Yamal injury concern as eight debutants feature in World Cup warm-up. Torres gave lead but Doski's long-range stunner equalized. Depth tested.","338113367510093825","2026-06-04T22:04:33Z","spain-1-1-iraq-what-yamal-s-absence-squad-rotation-mean","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.theguardian.com\u002Ffootball\u002F2026\u002Fjun\u002F04\u002Fspain-iraq-friendly-international-match-report","326222711653142528","Spain",[162,165,166,167,168,169,170,171,172],"326257593141956608","326257565195309056","326222711908995072","326222713142120448","326222712819159040","326222707169431552","326222712395534336","326257565233057792",[163,174,175,176,177,178,179,180,181],"Chattanooga","Barcelona","Mexico","Canada","Iraq","Anderlecht","Norway","Atletico Madrid","Spain 1-1 Iraq: What Yamal's Absence & Squad Rotation Mean",{"awayTeamId":-1,"awayTeamName":-1,"body":-1,"category":66,"excerpt":184,"homeTeamId":-1,"homeTeamName":-1,"id":185,"leagueId":71,"leagueName":72,"matchId":98,"matchName":21,"publishedAt":186,"slug":187,"sourceName":77,"sourceURL":188,"teamId":189,"teamName":190,"teamIds":191,"teamNames":198,"title":205},"NI's youngest post-WWII side (avg age 22.1) beat Guinea 1-0 with Atcheson scoring and sent off, while Morrison debuted, showing grit before facing France.","338103552524161025","2026-06-04T21:18:17Z","ni-record-youth-side-show-grit-22-1-avg-age-beats-guinea","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fsport\u002Ffootball\u002Farticles\u002Fc7v9ve8415mo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss","326257664243798016","Northern Ireland",[189,192,84,80,193,106,194,195,196,197,110],"326257791738056704","326257808385249280","326257807630274560","326257664713560064","326257664403181568","326257808158756864",[190,199,91,87,200,116,201,202,203,204,120],"Guinea","Sheffield Wednesday","Southampton","Luxembourg","Gibraltar","Blackburn","NI Record Youth Side Show Grit: 22.1 Avg Age Beats Guinea",{"awayScore":207,"awayTeam":208,"description":212,"homeScore":213,"homeTeam":214,"id":73,"kickoffAt":218,"length":219,"leagueId":220,"leagueName":72,"leagueSlug":221,"probabilityLabel":72,"slug":222,"status":223,"tvStations":224,"venueCity":225,"venueName":226},2,{"code":209,"id":63,"imagePath":210,"name":64,"slug":211},"AWY","https:\u002F\u002Fmedia.api-sports.io\u002Ffootball\u002Fteams\u002F65.png","nottingham-forest","Manchester United need a win to secure Champions League qualification, while Nottingham Forest are desperate for points to avoid relegation. The result could define both clubs’ seasons, either confirming United’s top-four finish or handing Forest a lifeline in the relegation battle.",3,{"code":215,"id":68,"imagePath":216,"name":69,"slug":217},"HME","https:\u002F\u002Fmedia.api-sports.io\u002Ffootball\u002Fteams\u002F33.png","manchester-united","2026-05-17T11:30:00Z",90,"326135624635518976","gb-premier-league","manchester-united-vs-nottingham-forest-2026-05-17","finished",[],"Manchester","Old Trafford"]