Michael Carrick admitted Manchester United had “no excuses” after twice surrendering the lead in a 4-2 pre-season defeat against Ruben Amorim's AC Milan in Wroclaw.
United had enjoyed an encouraging summer before facing their former manager, losing only once in their previous five friendlies while also beating Atletico Madrid and drawing 1-1 with European champions Paris Saint-Germain.
Carrick was nevertheless unhappy with Saturday's performance and believes his players must learn from it before the Premier League begins.
Carrick gives honest verdict on Man United defeat
Harry Maguire gave United an ideal start, heading them ahead after just over 100 seconds.
Samuel Chukwueze equalised for Milan before Patrick Dorgu restored United's advantage in the second half.
The match then changed dramatically as Alphadjo Cissè, Gonçalo Ramos and Ruben Loftus-Cheek scored in quick succession to secure a 4-2 victory for Amorim's side.
“We didn't play well today,” Carrick told MUTV.
“There’s different reasons anyway — no excuses, we just didn’t play very well today.”
Despite the result, Carrick remains positive about United's pre-season as a whole and believes several players will benefit from getting important minutes into their legs.
Marcus Rashford makes Manchester United return
The game also marked Marcus Rashford's first appearance for United since December 2024.
Rashford returned following his loan spell with Barcelona and was introduced on the hour as Carrick made six changes during the match.
His return provides Carrick with another option as he assesses his squad ahead of competitive football.
“We've got a good squad, so there's decisions to be made,” the United manager said.
The defeat leaves Carrick with areas to address, but it also provided another opportunity to assess players before his first full Premier League campaign in charge begins.
Key Points
- Manchester United lost 4-2 to Ruben Amorim's AC Milan in Wroclaw.
- Michael Carrick admitted United “didn't play well” and had “no excuses”.
- United led twice through Harry Maguire and Patrick Dorgu.
- Marcus Rashford made his first United appearance since December 2024.
- Carrick's side begin their Premier League campaign away at Hull City on 22 August.
What's Next?
United now have their final preparations to complete before travelling to newly-promoted Hull on 22 August.
Carrick must decide on his starting XI after using pre-season to assess his squad, with Rashford's return adding another selection decision ahead of the Premier League opener.
0 Comments
First read message
Leave a comment
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *