Hot take: Carrick is handling Yoro's & Heaven's development well
Carrick is developing Yoro just fine. He’s not burdening him with too much responsibility or throwing him into the deep end too soon.
He started Yoro in the Champions League against Sabah, a relatively weak opponent, and in the cup against Brighton, a game with real stakes but outside the pressure of the Premier League. He’s also given him minutes in the league, including his first PL start today.
By playing him at RB and not asking him to make overlapping runs, Carrick has allowed him to focus on what matters most: being solid defensively. It also takes away the added responsibility of playing CB, where every mistake can be far more costly.
Carrick is building Yoro’s confidence brick by brick giving him the experience he needs without overwhelming him.
Heaven hasn’t shown that he’s on Yoro’s level yet. He’s been given minutes, but you can’t just throw him to the wolves and expect him to suddenly start PL games. This is United and the scrutiny is immense. Licha has had some glaringly poor moments himself, and given his injury record, I blame the board far more than Carrick for failing to provide a LCB who can genuinely compete for that spot.
It’s unfortunate that the season has started poorly because now fans are clamoring for Yoro and Heaven to suddenly start PL games. But the reality is that those same fans will be quick to criticize them if they struggle, potentially damaging their confidence in the process.
Carrick understands the need to balance their development with the demands of competing at United. He’s integrating them gradually, giving them opportunities to grow without exposing them to more pressure than they’re ready to handle. And I think he’s doing a good job of it.