Manchester United were made to suffer at the hands of Ruben Amorim after they rounded off pre-season with a puzzling 4-2 defeat against AC Milan in Wroclaw.
Despite taking the lead inside two minutes through Harry Maguire’s header, United never looked quite right all afternoon against this dynamic Milan side, ultimately paying the price after Bruno Fernandes’ missed penalty.
There was plenty of motivation on both sides and while Amorim hugged each and every United player that was in the starting line-up, it was he who had the last laugh thanks to goals from Samuel Chukwueze, Alphadjo Cisse, Goncalo Ramos and Ruben Loftus-Cheek.
A week out from the start of the Premier League season, Daily Mail Sport assesses some of the biggest challenges facing Michael Carrick and his staff this week…
Ruben Amorim (right) had the last laugh as he beat his Man United successor Michael Carrick
THINGS GO LEFT
It was telling how much of Milan’s joy came down United’s left side in what should be the clincher to adding a new left back this summer.
Chukwueze, who scored himself, had acres of space to pick out Cisse at the back post for the equaliser at 2-2 and it was his cross to the far post for Ramos that teed up the third Milan goal. Loftus-Cheek broke free down the same side and scored to make it 4-2.
United know that left back is an area of weakness and with plans for Harry Amass to depart this summer, relying solely on Luke Shaw, who is a solid player but lacking the legs of his younger days, is an enormous gamble that this match showed would be a mistake.
Carrick made it plain when speaking to reporters that United need more before the September 1 transfer deadline and given this game will be a huge part of the analysis for Hull City and other upcoming Premier League opponents, failure to act and bring in a new left back will leave Carrick needing to get creative to find a solution.
It was imperative before the match but took on an even greater significance by the time this one was done.
LEGS REQUIRED
Speaking of new signings, United need to add more dynamism and more legs into central midfield.
Andrey Santos has been the standout player during pre-season and early on here Youri Tielemans looked like he was finding a groove, particularly when he skipped aside his marker and played a delightful through ball for Amad, who was fouled.
But there were signs here that that partnership cannot be a fits-all solution and that, even with the returning Kobbie Mainoo, United simply have to add a midfielder who can cover more ground and cover up for the areas of, particularly, Tielemans’ game that are lacking.
United went in to the pre-season with the idea of adding three midfielders, only for that to cool given the form of Mason Mount in the first few games.
Mount was not involved here after going off early in the Paris Saint-Germain game and with director of football Jason Wilcox in attendance for this one, the evidence couldn’t be clearer that United are sorely lacking in the middle.
If that continues, they will be too easy to play through. Your move, Ineos…
Youri Tielemans (right) and Harry Maguire (middle) are experienced but United need more legs
Marcus Rashford wore the No 9 shirt but United insist official squad numbers are undecided
RASHFORD IS BACK… BUT FOR HOW LONG?
Marcus Rashford pulled on the United shirt for the first time since December 2024 and wore the No 9 shirt, although the club were eager to stress that shirt numbers are still very much undecided for the season ahead.
That wrinkle aside, there was moments of real purpose, commitment and at times excitement from Rashford, a player that nobody around United has categorically ruled out selling or moving on.
It has been known for some time that United are open to moving off the £325,000-a-week attacker, not least given they have Patrick Dorgu and Matheus Cunha at left wing.
Dorgu scored here following a Milan mistake but he cannot be compared to Rashford as an elite left winger.
There are a line of suitors for Rashford, some of which he wouldn’t be open to joining and others that don’t appeal to United.
But if the window closes and Rashford is still in a United shirt, Carrick needs to make the England international a key part of the project to make sure he gets absolutely everything he can out of him.
Milan were able to stifle United by slowing the pace down so United started to look ordinary
CARRICK BALL NEEDS PACE
A lot of the concern from this performance was just how easy at times it was for Milan to stifle United both in and out of possession.
Too often United became very lethargic and static with the ball, while out of possession it was a litany of mistakes that pockmarked this day to forget.
Against Atletico Madrid, PSG and Leeds United, there was so much pace to the way United pressed and passed the ball around. When that disappears, as it did here, the problems become crystal clear.
High intensity and high energy is crucial to the way Carrick wants United to play this season.
If that isn’t evident at Hull, the newly-promoted side will fancy their chances of punishing United just like Milan did. The blueprint to stopping United is now clear: slow them down.
