Premier League grants United's festive fixture request as academy system aligns with Carrick's style

Manchester United have secured an earlier release of the Premier League’s festive fixture schedule after lobbying the league and broadcast officials, while the club’s under-21 side has switched to Michael Carrick’s preferred formation to accelerate the development of academy players.

According to the Daily Mail, United held talks with senior Premier League and broadcast officials requesting that the December schedule be published more than a month earlier than in the previous year. The Football Supporters Association was also involved in the discussions, with the aim of giving fans more time to arrange travel. The announcement confirming United’s Boxing Day fixture against Newcastle was made on October 31. United will host Nottingham Forest on Sunday, December 27 in a 4:30pm kick-off, before facing Sunderland at Old Trafford in a 7:30pm game on Wednesday, December 30.

On the development side, U21 coach Adam Lawrence has moved the academy side from a 4-3-3 to a 4-2-3-1, mirroring the shape Carrick has implemented with the first team. The Daily Mail reports that the U21 side has also adopted Carrick’s use of a false nine, replicating the manager’s deployment of Matheus Cunha in that role. The alignment is designed to ensure academy prospects arrive in the first-team environment already familiar with the positional demands Carrick places on his players.

JJ Gabriel is among the youngsters who benefited from first-team exposure during pre-season, and the structural change is expected to smooth the path for him and other emerging talents. Carrick has monitored the academy closely since returning to the club at the start of the year.

United head into the weekend seeking a return to winning form in the Premier League after drawing with Everton last weekend, with a home derby against Manchester City at Old Trafford next on the agenda.