Carrick could finally revive Mbeumo by offloading Man Utd new signing Owen Hargreaves.
Matheus Cunha may have stolen the limelight somewhat under Michael Carrick’s regime, although it’s hard to argue that Bryan Mbeumo was nothing more than a shrewd signing for Manchester United.
A bright light during the first season under Ruben Amorim, the 26-year-old has picked up where he left off at Brentford, after scoring 20 Premier League goals in 2024/25.
Only nine have followed since, although they were key goalscorers there, notably netting at Anfield, the Emirates and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, as well as in Spurs’ win over Manchester City in 2026.
Those two recent strikes have shown that it has been a good year for the Cameroonian so far, although there is a strong sense that he has not looked the same recently, especially since his return from the Afcon.
How does Mbeumo’s record compare before and after Afcon
Having started his season after scoring United’s first goal at Grimsby Town, Mbeumo went on to score six more goals and register one assist between August and December, representing one of the few successful players in Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 system.
Wideman’s statement came off the back of a huge 4-2 win over Brighton and Hove Albion in October, producing two impressive points that have not been seen by United players in the past.
Such a good start surprisingly had fans fearing the worst before his absence due to international duty, where the Red Devils ended up winning just one of their six games in that AFCON season, including an FA Cup defeat to the Seagulls.
Since his return, Mbeumo has started all the games under Carrick, starting with the derby, although he has now gone six games without scoring a goal, the last time he netted against Tottenham 2-0.
There is a caveat that he has been moved too far from his preferred right-back position, having resumed at full-forward last week, however given his near-perfect form, Carrick and co need more from their £71m signing at the moment.
|
Mbeumo’s record – after AFCON |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Objection |
Goals |
It helps |
|
Man City |
1 |
0 |
|
Arsenal |
1 |
0 |
|
Fulham |
0 |
0 |
|
The Spurs |
1 |
0 |
|
West Ham |
0 |
1 |
|
Everton |
0 |
1 |
|
Palace |
0 |
0 |
|
Newcastle |
0 |
0 |
|
Aston Villa |
0 |
0 |
|
The mouth |
0 |
0 |
|
Total (10 games) |
3 |
2 |
The obvious solution would be to drop the former Bees star from the starting line-up, in favor of Benjamin Sesko, although the United boss may be able to lie if he wants Mbeumo to fire again.
Man Utd’s new Hargreaves could help fire Mbeumo
Given the dip in form since Amorim’s departure, having scored just three goals in 10 games under Carrick, Mbeumo is perhaps one of the few who have suffered from a system change.
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Of course, he doesn’t link up with Amad to the same extent as the two did in the 3-4-2-1, and the left-footed duo are arguably the biggest beneficiaries of that poor set-up.
The same was true of the forgotten man, Mason Mount, the £60m Englishman who was a firm favorite of the Amorim from the outset, despite being repeatedly hampered by injuries.
It only appeared in the first half, but Mount’s best run in a United shirt so far came in the first half of the campaign, developing as part of a fluid front three alongside Cunha and Mbeumo.
It was that combination that led to a remarkable victory for Arne Slot’s men on Merseyside, with three of the three – alongside Bruno Fernandes – prominently netting in a 4-1 win at Molineux at the start of December.
More specifically, Mbeumo and Mount combined for England’s first goal of the season against Sunderland, the former Chelsea man producing a delicious volley after the full-back’s cross.
There is an argument that, despite not having started a game since Boxing Day, Mount could be the man to revitalize United’s attack, likely to be slotted into a new-look right-back position, with Mbeumo left in the middle.
A central midfielder or number ten by trade, the 27-year-old could be a temporary solution in that position, echoing a certain Owen Hargreaves in Sir Alex Ferguson’s great side in 2008.
Indeed, the now-retired Hargreaves started the Champions League final in Moscow on the right-back, mirroring Mount as a classy, versatile asset who can slot in and switch between different roles.
That comparison, which can be seen in their performance, is perhaps most evident in the injury problem that the two England players have faced, however, Hargreaves actually made only 39 appearances at Old Trafford, scoring twice.
Now nearing the end of his troubled third season, Mount’s long-term future is up for debate, with just seven goals in 67 appearances for the club, but here and now, he could provide a much-needed injection into Carrick’s attacking ranks.
I hope that such a change may benefit Mbeumo as well, if the first phase of the campaign is about to pass.
Carrick could revive Mbeumo by releasing the £37m Man Utd star in a new role
Another point on the board for Man Utd, although there are still issues to be resolved for Michael Carrick.
