Carrick shares honest opinion after losing to Amorim

​Manchester United manager Michael Carrick has insisted that his squad is fully prepared for the start of the 2026/27 Premier League campaign, refusing to hit the panic button following a 4-2 pre-season defeat to AC Milan on Saturday.

​In a match laced with narrative, United travelled to Wroclaw, Poland, to face an AC Milan side currently managed by Ruben Amorim, the man sacked by Manchester United earlier this year to pave the way for Carrick's permanent appointment. 

What was meant to be a final fine-tuning exercise instead exposed glaring defensive frailties that Carrick must urgently address before competitive action begins.

​Carrick did not shy away from criticising the performance but remained adamant that the overarching pre-season preparations have set the team up for success.

​"Today, we're disappointed with it. We didn't play well today. There are reasons for that, and we need to improve," Carrick admitted to the media. "Some of the boys were playing their first minutes. Different reasons – but no excuses. We didn't play very well."

​Despite the litany of mistakes, the former England and United midfielder is confident going into the new season, shifting focus to their upcoming Premier League opener against newly promoted Hull City on August 22.

​"Overall, we are ready for next week," Carrick declared. "A lot of the boys will be better off for the minutes. We've done a lot of work on the training pitch; the performances in the games have been pretty good. We're still in good spirits going into next week."

​The match itself offered a frustrating glimpse of a United side capable of attacking potency but crippled by defensive dysfunction. The Red Devils actually led twice in the contest. Harry Maguire opened the scoring after just two minutes with a trademark header from a Bruno Fernandes corner.

​After Milan levelled through Samuel Chukwueze due to a chaotic defensive mix-up, Patrick Dorgu restored United's advantage in the second half by pouncing on an errant backpass.

​From there, the wheels spectacularly fell off. United’s backline crumbled, allowing Milan to score three unanswered goals in quick succession. Alphadjo Cisse and Goncalo Ramos capitalised on defensive errors before former Chelsea midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek sprinted clear to cap off a 4-2 victory, handing Amorim a deeply satisfying win over his former employers.

​There were silver linings for Carrick to take away. The match marked the long-awaited return of Marcus Rashford, who made his first appearance in a United shirt since December 2024. 

Rashford was frozen out during Amorim’s 14-month tenure and spent the second half of last season on loan with Barcelona, helping the Catalan giants secure the 2025/26 La Liga title.

​Carrick, who successfully steadied the ship last season by leading United to a commendable third-place finish after taking over in January, must now ensure the defensive lapses in Poland remain an isolated pre-season anomaly.