Michael Carrick’s return to the Manchester United team for the win over Swansea has been hailed as the catalyst behind their improved performance. But what is it about the midfielder that makes him so important? Adam Bate examines the evidence… Its one thing to be 25-years-old, another thing to be 35-years-old. Thats the logic of things. But the only thing I can say is hes phenomenal. No doubts about it … I would love to play him every game but thats not possible … He started at Swansea and played very, very well.Jose Mourinhos explanation for Michael Carricks belated inclusion in his Premier League starting line-up for the 3-1 win at Swansea last time out was a little disingenuous. There had been multiple opportunities for the Manchester United manager to turn to Carrick earlier. Swansea 1-3 Manchester Utd Although United have won all six matches in which he has featured this season, the veteran midfielder struggled to make the squad in the early weeks of the season and was an unused substitute for the back-to-back defeats against Feyenoord and Watford in September.This was not because of careful game management. It was Mourinho searching for a longer-term solution to his midfield conundrum. But it seems there are still qualities that Carrick possesses that are absent elsewhere in the United squad. Qualities that help the team.Rio Ferdinand calls him the best passer at the club while Gary Neville, another old team-mate, once compared Carrick to a piano. Hes peaceful, hes calm, he brings composure to everyone else around him, said Neville. Thats important for young players. Carrick scored in the EFL Cup win over Northampton Town in September Only last year Wayne Rooney was enthusing about how Carrick turned around Englands friendly against Italy after coming on as a substitute by dictating the game and bringing control to the teams work. Mourinho has spoken of the balance that he provides.These are difficult qualities to measure and that makes them easy to dismiss. Carrick didnt score or assist a goal at Swansea, after all. He didnt make a tackle either. But even from such a small sample size this season, Carricks statistics do hint at what he brings to a team.He has made 112 passes in only 102 minutes of Premier League football this season with a completion rate of more than 96 per cent. In short, when Carricks on the pitch he passes the ball to a team-mate more regularly and with greater accuracy than anyone else. Man Utd midfielders 2016/17 Player Passes / 90 Player Passing accuracy Michael Carrick 98.8 Michael Carrick 96.55% Ander Herrera 69.9 Juan Mata 90.84% Paul Pogba 62.7 Marouane Fellaini 89.35% Juan Mata 56.3 Ander Herrera 87.45% Marouane Fellaini 55.7 Paul Pogba 86.11% But its about more than keeping calm and keeping hold of the ball. Its not just that hes circulating possession but the direction in which hes circulating it. Thats whats helping those around him. In particular, it could be crucial for record signing Paul Pogba.Mourinho knew he needed Pogbas dynamism - the second midfield player is how he describes that role of the runner rather than the passer in the middle of the park. But on the evidence of the early part of the season, getting him on the ball in the right areas is an issue.Carrick could be the man to change that. Mourinho has highlighted his big understanding of the game so perhaps its not merely a coincidence that he found Pogba eight times in his first Premier League appearance of the campaign as a late substitute against Leicester. Carrick and Pogba Michael Carrick has passed to Paul Pogba 25 times in only 102 minutes of Premier League action. By way of comparison, that meant that Carrick passed the ball to Pogba more times in a quarter of an hour than either Juan Mata or Ander Herrera did in the entire game. The Swansea game saw a continuation of this fledgling relationship.Carrick passed to Pogba 17 times at the Liberty Stadium, more than anyone else. As a result, hes averaging a pass to the Frenchman every four minutes so far this season - more than three times as often as Rooney, for example, has succeeded in getting the ball to him.Much has been made of how Pogba found his feet at Juventus alongside Andrea Pirlo and Claudio Marchisio. Their intelligent use of the ball helped him flourish. Thats been missing. Alarmingly, in the defeat to Manchester City, the man who supplied Pogba most often was David de Gea. Is it time for Jose Mourinho to turn to Carrick to help Uniteds midfield? With Carrick in the team, thats unlikely to happen again. As Mourinho puts it, hes a player who adds stability in our game and provides mental freedom for the other guys to be more offensive in their work as well. For United fans, this isnt a new realisation.It even worked briefly for Louis van Gaal. Carrick won the first seven matches he started last season, extending his total winning run to 11 when the wins over Tottenham, Liverpool, Aston Villa and City were included from the previous 2014/15 campaign.That sequence of results in the spring of 2015 marked Uniteds best period under the Dutchman, one that only came to an end once Carrick picked up an injury just prior to the 1-0 defeat at Chelsea in the April. Winning without him is not a problem unique to Mourinho. Watch NOW TV Watch Sky Sports for just ￡6.99. No contract. The closest Van Gaal ever got to fluidity at Old Trafford was with that triumvirate of Carrick, Herrera and Marouane Fellaini. Perhaps that could yet be the template for the new manager with the not insignificant upgrade of subbing in Pogba for the burly Belgian.Mourinho knows it is not the answer he envisaged but nor can he afford to look too far ahead. Arsenal are the visitors on Saturday and picking the best team to win the match should surely be the only thing in his thoughts. That will mean Carrick.Its a pity you sometimes cannot stop the clock, said Mourinho earlier this month. Michael is such an important player and very difficult to replace. But the issue of finding a replacement is now a task for January at the earliest and, more likely, well beyond that. Man Utd vs Arsenal November 19, 2016, 11:30am Live on Get Sky Sports Get a Sky Sports pass By then, the hope will be that Pogba is fully settled and this United side are playing with some confidence again. Carrick can help with that. He knows exactly what I can do, my strengths, he told Sky Sports earlier this season. I am not going to change my game now.Theres no need for that. The events of this season have only added to the suspicion that Carrick doing what Carrick does might be exactly what United had been missing. Also See: Herrera on life under Jose Mkhitaryan vows to impress Balenciaga Soldes .ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable. Basket Balenciaga Femme . Aside from the trilogy main event title fight, there are a number of intriguing matchups in the heavyweight, welterweight and lightweight divisions. http://www.pascherbasketbalenciaga.fr/ . "Hes going to have hip surgery on Jan. 7, and hell be expected to rehabilitate for four to six months beyond that," Canucks general manager Mike Gillis said Friday in an interview. Basket Balenciaga Pas Cher . -- Ohio States Urban Meyer has never had any issue acclimating to the biggest stages in college football. Balenciaga Destockage . The 28-year-old from Calgary matched his career best after missing just one shot in his two rounds of shooting in the mens 10-kilometre sprint competition. Smith finished in 23 minutes 15. ORLANDO, Fla. -- Deondre Francois was a little concerned after his first couple of drives Monday night.Things werent going exactly as Florida States redshirt freshman quarterback had hoped. Some critical passes floated high, some fell short, and the fourth-ranked Seminoles trailed No. 11 Mississippi by 22 points before the end of the first quarter.Then it all came together in the second quarter. Francois stood in the pocket and delivered a 16-yard touchdown pass to Travis Rudolph, the first of 33 consecutive points for the Seminoles in a 45-34 season-opening win over Ole Miss -- the largest comeback victory in school history.Things werent going right, but I couldnt panic because my team needed me behind the wheel, said Francois, just the fourth freshman to start the season as the Seminoles quarterback.So I just kept chopping. We were down 28-6, but I couldnt let them see me down, I had to portray the image that we were not about to lose this game.Francois made plays with both his arm and legs while playing in front of his home crowd in Orlando. He completed 33 of 52 passes for 419 yards and two touchdowns, and also rushed for 59 yards.He led the Seminoles on four touchdown drives and positioned freshman kicker Ricky Aguayo to convert a school-record six field goals while FSU scored on nine consecutive possessions between the second and fourth quarters.Hes a kid who loves his team, FSU coach Jimbo Fisher said of Francois. His teammates believe in him, and hes a fighter, and hes a competitor, which Im very proud of.Francois outplayed his much more experienced counterpart, Ole Miss senior Chad Kelly, who threw for 313 yards and four touchdowns but also had three interceptions and a fumble.Francois didnt commit a turnover and played with poise that earned him his teammates confidence.He just wants to make everything perfect, he wants to perfect his craft, said FSU running back Dalvin Cook. The confidence he has coming into the huddle, you have no choice but to go out and execute for him because he is going to lay it on the line for you.THE TAKEAWAYOle Miss: The Rebels up-tempo offense is potent, but big mistakes by Kelly under pressure took away any momentum. Kelly had three touchdown passes in the fourth quarter but his turnovers (four) brought the offense to a standstiill.ddddddddddddFlorida State: Francois looks like the real deal. His arm is impressive and his willingness to stay in the pocket was bold for a first-time starter. Cook found little running room early, but he contributed big as a receiver with a career-high seven catches for 101 yards. He also rushed for 91 yards on 23 carries.KEY NUMBERSOle Miss: The Rebels gave 13 points off turnovers, fueled by Kellys four giveaways.Florida State: The Seminoles won the time of possession battle 42:39 to 17:21. ... FSU will have to clean up some sloppiness after committing 15 penalties for 127 yards. ... The Seminoles converted 9 of 18 third downs. ... Among the kickers that Aguayo passed with his team-record six field goals? His brother Roberto, a second-round pick by Tampa Bay this year.INJURY REPORTOle Miss cornerback Ken Webster suffered a knee injury on the Rebels fourth defensive play when he went up to defend a pass to receiver Kermit Whitfield. Webster came down awkwardly and had to be carted off the field. His injury hurt the secondary because it didnt have a defensive back to leave out on an island in coverage.POLL IMPLICATIONSOle Miss: The Rebels should drop some in the polls, but they may not fall far after losing in what was essentially Florida States backyard. For a while, Ole Miss looked destined for a jump into the top 10, but things unraveled in the second half.Florida State: The Seminoles nearly became the third team in the top five to tumble, but instead they rallied for a huge neutral-site win. With No. 3 Oklahoma losing, FSU should move up to at least No. 3 in the next AP Top 25 poll.LAST WORDJimbo (Fisher) and I were talking before the game, there was going to be a good football team that walked out of here tonight not feeling well, and its us, Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze said. We did not deserve to win the game the way we played the second half.UP NEXTOle Miss: The Rebels return home to host Wofford of the FCS on Saturday. Terriers (1-0) are coming off a 21-7 win over Tennessee Tech.Florida State: The Seminoles will host Charleston Southern of the FCS on Saturday. The Buccaneers (1-1) are coming off a 57-7 win over Kentucky State. ' ' '