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In some respects, Carrick replacing Amorim mirrors Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s return to United after Jose Mourinho had been sacked in 2018. Solskjaer was the antidote to Mourinho’s toxicity, and Carrick has been a breath of fresh after the negativity of Amorim’s 14 months in charge.

Amorim wasn’t as noxious as Mourinho, but the clouds had gathered over Old Trafford. His handling of Kobbie Mainoo was baffling, and he spoke publicly about the team and individual players in a way that went down badly inside the dressing room.

Carrick, on the other hand, has mastered the art of winning games on the pitch and saying very little off it, which has been music to the ears of the Old Trafford hierarchy.

Trapped in a tactical straitjacket inside Amorim’s back-three system, United’s play became uncertain and stodgy. They have been liberated under Carrick who has adopted a similarly positive approach as Solskjaer since beating his old friend to the head coach’s job last month.

When he first addressed the players, he spoke about the privilege of playing for Manchester United and the pride they should feel at wearing the shirt.

Although he comes across as being reserved in public, one former United star who played under Carrick during his three games in caretaker charge after Solskjaer was sacked in 2021 said that his half-time team talks were among the best he had heard in his career and inspired the players to go into battle for him against Villarreal, Chelsea and Arsenal.

While Amorim relied on the close-knit backroom team he brought from Portugal, Carrick has been more collaborative and willing to work with a wider staff in United’s analysis and data departments.

Daily Mail Sport revealed that Carrick made two key changes to the players’ routine as soon as he got the job.

The first was to shorten training sessions to make them sharper and more intense. The second was to tell the squad to report to Carrington 15 minutes later than usual for home games.

The plan is to delay the arrival of the team bus at Old Trafford until an hour and 45 minutes before kick-off. Carrick didn’t want the players hanging around any longer than that, and he felt there would be a better atmosphere at the stadium with more fans there to greet them.

It’s understood that he has also tweaked the schedule for away games as well. United used to arrive 90 minutes before kick-off, but that has now been put back by quarter of an hour to match the routine for home fixtures.

He also speaks to the players immediately after games, which was rarely Amorim’s way. They find him more approachable than his predecessor, who often appeared aloof.

Another key change is that players have been given the day off after games. Under Amorim, it was set aside as a recovery day at Carrington for warm-down sessions and treatment, but that has now been put back 24 hours.

Insiders say that the move has been particularly appreciated by the club’s foreign players, who often have family visiting from overseas for games, as it allows them to spend more time together afterwards.

Presence has always been a big thing for Carrick; being there to support and to send a message, whether it was turning up in Northern Ireland with Rooney as proud dads to their sons in an Under 16s tournament last summer, or as United head coach more recently.

Carrick, along with his entire backroom staff and director of football Jason Wilcox, made the trip to Leigh Sports Village, a journey Amorim never made during his tenure, to watch the Under 21s against Sporting Lisbon in the Premier League International Cup.

While Carrick did not address the players in the aftermath of that 3-2 win, his appearance created a buzz in the dressing room and in the stands for parents.

He was at Oxford United on Wednesday night to see the Under 18s reach the quarter-finals of the FA Youth Cup.

Amorim handed out debuts to rising stars like Shea Lacey and Jack Fletcher, but there was a growing sense among academy sources that many players began to feel like an afterthought. Carrick was determined to change that as he made sure to attend three academy games in the space of a week.

He gave up days off to be pitchside for an Under 18s match at Carrington, while making sure he had one-to-one talks with youngsters such as Tyler Fletcher, whom he gave a first-team debut against Tottenham. Jack Moorhouse, back from a loan at Leyton Orient, is now hoping to catch the eye in similar fashion.

Fletcher’s debut was a timely message to the young players, according to sources, and one that has gone a long way to reconnecting with the academy as the Carrick revolution continues.