Shea Lacey's late cameo for Manchester United against Roma, capped by an assist for the winning goal, has intensified the selection debate over who should start on the right-hand side against Aston Villa. Head coach Michael Carrick now faces a decision between the 19-year-old Lacey and Amad, who has 104 games of experience for the club.
Lacey was given a 10-minute appearance against Hull on the opening day of the season but did not feature again in the Premier League until the 3-0 defeat to Bournemouth. His involvement in that fixture was seen as a signal that Carrick's time at Old Trafford could be ending, but the expected sacking never came and Ineos chose to keep him in charge.
Amad's Form Dips
Amad remained Carrick's first choice and impressed at Stamford Bridge despite not scoring. He had four shots, two on target, and recorded a 0.56 xG, according to Opta. He pressed high and forced errors from the Chelsea defence, but his finishing let him down.
Those positive signs earned Amad another start against Roma, but the optimism faded over 75 minutes. He failed to create a single chance, his xG dropped to 0.06, and only five of his 41 touches were inside the opposition box.
Lacey Makes an Impact
With Bruno Fernandes halving the deficit, Carrick turned to Lacey. In his 15 minutes plus stoppages, the teenager had 14 touches, completed all seven of his passes, and attempted the same number of dribbles as Amad (four) with a higher success rate (three to Amad's two). He then played an inch-perfect pass to assist Matheus Cunha for the winner.
In his post-match press conference, Carrick praised the youngster. "Not going too over the top, but at the same time absolutely delighted for Shea," the head coach said. "We love him to bits. He's a great young man, he's desperate to do well, he's got great ability. So in terms of coming inside and finding the pass, that's not surprising."
Carrick added: "He's got that little glint in his eye, he plays with a bit of mischief, if you like, so he's always looking to have that. But I was just as happy seeing him defending as a right-back when we needed that in the moments when as a rounded footballer, you've got to be able to do that."
A Pivotal Decision
Carrick now faces a choice ahead of the Aston Villa match. Sunday represents a critical moment for the head coach, with his future likely resting on the result. The article notes that when Amad broke into the first team, Erik ten Hag faced pressure to start him every game, dropped him for his final three Premier League games in charge, and lost his job. A few weeks later, Amad produced six assists and a goal in seven Premier League games.
Now Amad is on the other side of the debate, with Lacey the exciting new talent fans want to see. If Carrick again opts for the safe route, he could follow the same path as Ten Hag.
