Ruben Amorim returned to slap Manchester United in the face with a wet flannel this week, providing a timely wake-up call just days before the Premier League opener against Hull City. It was the reunion no one at Old Trafford particularly wanted, and the outcome was even less welcome.
Sacked by United just eight months ago after a dire run of results and explosive press conference, Amorim’s new-look AC Milan handed out a 4-2 thrashing to the Red Devils in their final pre-season friendly.
To add insult to injury, he did it using the exact wing-back system that still gives most United fans tactical nightmares. It was a masterclass in how that formation should work—starving the opposition of possession and ruthlessly exploiting the space out wide. For United, it was a timely progress check.
The Caveats: Heat, Fitness, and Self-Preservation
Now, the usual pre-season disclaimers apply. It was, after all, a friendly. Harry Maguire intimated after the match that the players were perhaps subconsciously protecting themselves, eager not to pick up a knock so close to the start of the new campaign. Nobody wants to miss the season opener because they pushed too hard in the final warm-up match.
Then there were the personnel issues. This was the first outing of the summer for a cluster of key names returning from post-World Cup breaks. Kobbie Mainoo, Marcus Rashford, and Lisandro Martinez were all stepping onto the pitch for the first time in weeks, and several others had their minutes strictly managed by the medical staff.
The elements weren’t exactly helping, either. It was a sweltering 34C inside the Tarczyński Arena in Wroclaw, Poland. In those conditions, the players looked like they were operating in bursts and then recovering. The caveats are plenty, and they are valid. However, even accounting for the humidity and the heavy legs, the performance was poor. The defeat highlighted some clear issues that Michael Carrick needs to ponder.
Tactically Torn Apart by the “Amorim Special”
It’s not the end of the world to concede four goals in a pre-season kickaround, even to an ex-manager with a point to prove, but it was the way the goals were conceded that stung. There were repeated, choreographed moves that opened United up far too easily.
Milan’s strategy was simple but effective: shuffle United’s defensive block over to the left, lure them into a press, and then quickly switch the play to the right. This repeatedly found wing-back Samuel Chukwueze in acres of space. The former Fulham loanee had a total field day on the flank. He was the architect of United’s downfall, scoring the equalizer to cancel out Maguire’s early headed opener, before providing the assists for Milan’s second and third goals.
It was basic stuff, yet United had no answer. There was no closing down, no shifting across the pitch with urgency, and no one willing to put a foot in to block the final pass. It was passive, “after-you” defending that won’t fly against Hull City.
Carrick’s Transfer Plea: “We Want More”
While Milan dominated possession, United’s slick, one-touch passing, the kind we glimpsed in earlier friendlies against PSG, Atletico Madrid, and Leeds, seemed to evaporate. It left Michael Carrick looking frustrated on the touchline. Only three days earlier, the mild-mannered manager had remarked, “we want more, we need more,” when answering a question about the club’s remaining transfer business.
With two weeks of the window left, Amorim might have actually done Carrick a massive favour. By exposing some of the squad’s defficienies, he’s delivered timely evidence to the board that reinforcements are required. Newcastle left-back Lewis Hall has been strongly linked with a move to Old Trafford and it is a position in whihc United are light.
Furthermore, the club is still hunting for a third midfield signing following the departure of Casemiro and the serious injury to Manuel Ugarte. Without a pacey and agile defensive anchor to supplement Andrey Santos, who was subbed on 60 minutes, the midfield looked like a highway for Milan’s runners.
The Rashford Resurrection and the No. 9 Mystery
Perhaps the most intriguing subplot of the night involved Marcus Rashford. Frozen out by Amorim during his tenure and sent on a nomadic loan path through Aston Villa and Barcelona, Rashford made his return off the bench wearing the No. 9 shirt.
While shirt numbers are provisional ahead of the Premier League’s final registration, handing Rashford the “striker’s number” on a permanent basis would be a significant statement of intent from Carrick. United are currently heading into the season without a fit, specialist striker; Benjamin Šeško is still sidelined with the shin injury that ended his last campaign.
Rashford, however, looked like a man with a point to prove. He was sharp, motivated, and roused one of the biggest cheers of the night with a piece of skill that left his marker for dead near the corner flag. If Amorim’s presence was the catalyst for a freshly motivated Rashford, United might have the last laugh after all.
Defensive Rust and a Watching Brief for Mainoo
On the flip side, it was a night to forget for Lisandro Martinez. The World Cup finalist looked, to put it kindly, rusty. He was caught flat-footed for Milan’s final goal, their third in a chaotic 14-minute spell, as Ruben Loftus-Cheek simply ran away from him. It’s highly unlikely “The Butcher” will be sharp enough to start against Hull.
Similarly, Kobbie Mainoo will likely have a watching brief at the MKM Stadium this weekend. The England international played the final 30 minutes but failed to exert any real control in midfield. He wasn’t alone in that regard, but it’s clear the engine room isn’t quite firing yet.
Amorim came to Poland to prove a point, and he succeeded. He has given United plenty to think about, a few headaches, and some work to do on the training ground. In the long run, this slap in the face might be exactly what Carrick’s men needed to wake up before the real business begins.
