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Harry Maguire has highlighted the biggest improvement Manchester United have made since Michael Carrick took over - and his comments hint at where Ruben Amorim went wrong. Carrick has won all four of his matches since replacing the sacked Amorim last month.

The United interim manager has changed the formation from Amorim's favoured 3-4-2-1 to a more simplistic 4-2-3-1 and has reaped the benefits. United have beaten Manchester City, Arsenal, Fulham and Tottenham to turn around their fortunes and solidify fourth place in the Premier League.

Carrick has stuck with a settled side, using Kobbie Mainoo in midfield alongside Casemiro and allowing Bruno Fernandes to play as a No.10. Maguire has re-established his partnership with Lisandro Martinez in central defence and is delighted with the upturn in form.

He believes that the defensive structure and organisation that Carrick has drilled into the players has made all the difference as they go in search of their fifth straight win against West Ham on Tuesday night.

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"I think he's been magnificent," Maguire told Owen Hargreaves when asked about Mainoo in an interview TNT Sports which was filmed last week. "He hadn't started a Premier League game (this season) up until a few games ago and he's started three on the bounce now.

"He's been brilliant. We know what Kobbie can do - he can take the ball under pressure, he's brilliant on the ball, he can get out of tight spaces. I always say as a footballer, when the structure is good, you can perform and be a good player. But the structure has got to be good all around you. I think we've seen with Cassy (Casemiro) too in the last few games, when the structure is good he's still a magnificent centre midfielder."

United sometimes struggled in Amorim's 3-4-2-1 formation, with players not comfortable in unfamiliar positions. Carrick has made a point of placing players in their natural positions and that has helped United find solidity, according to Maguire.

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"We've got to be comfortable to dominate with the ball, but also without the ball," he added. "We always know we're going to be a threat on the counter-attack with our players. Against Man City, we took the lead and were happy to soak up a little bit of pressure and to be comfortable defending our box.

"I think that's the main thing that's improved over the past three games: we've defended our box a lot better with a lot more urgency. Previously, we defended our box nowhere near good enough. Every time the ball went into the box, they had a chance.

"But the last three games, loads more urgency - and not just from the defenders, from the midfielders and the wide men getting back in and the striker protecting the edge of the box. It's so important that we do it as a team and we've got to make sure we get the spaces right and that we're compact all over the pitch.

"Michael will bring that. There will be times where you'll see us go man to man all over the pitch and try to be really aggressive and there will also be times where we're happy and content in keeping the spaces short and punishing teams on the counter-attack. I think it's important to be tactically flexible in that aspect."

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