Manchester United are playing AC Milan in a pre-season friendly in Wroclaw, Poland, marking their final preparatory match before the new Premier League season begins. The match is taking place at the 42,000-capacity Tarczyński Arena, with Szymon Marciniak, who officiated the 2022 World Cup final, in charge. The game sees AC Milan manager Ruben Amorim face his former club, Manchester United, for the first time since his departure.
Michael Carrick, the current Manchester United manager, replaced Amorim earlier in the year. Carrick has been working to build confidence and cohesion within the squad, and his selection for this friendly may offer insights into his plans for the upcoming season. Manchester United‘s opening Premier League game is against Hull in one week.
Squad and Tactical Insights
The Manchester United starting XI includes Lammens, Mazraoui, Maguire, Heaven, Shaw, Andrey Santos, Tielemans, Amad, Fernandes, Dorgu, and Cunha. Substitutes listed are Heath, Mee, Amass, Dalot, Martinez, Yoro, Collyer, J Fletcher, T Fletcher, Mainoo, Gabriel, Lacey, Mbeumo, Rashford, and Zirkzee. Marcus Rashford is wearing the number 9 shirt for this match, though official shirt numbers for the season are yet to be confirmed.
AC Milan‘s starting lineup features Torriani, Terracciano, De Winter, Pavlovic, Chukwueze, Jashari, Musah, Estupinan, Loftus-Cheek, Cisse, and Ramos. Notable players in the AC Milan squad include former Chelsea midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek, former Brighton left-back Pervis Estupinan, and Portugal striker Goncalo Ramos. Luka Modric, at the age of 40, is also part of the AC Milan squad.
The midfield trio of Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans, and Bruno Fernandes appears to be a settled choice for Manchester United. There are considerations for the defence, with Lisandro Martinez potentially partnering Harry Maguire for the Hull match, and Diogo Dalot possibly replacing Noussair Mazraoui. In attack, Amad Diallo is on the right and Patrick Dorgu on the left, with questions remaining about whether Bryan Mbeumo or Matheus Cunha will lead the line, or if Cunha might start on the left ahead of Dorgu.
Transfer Market Activity and Managerial Contrast
Michael Carrick has indicated that Manchester United still need to strengthen their squad during the current transfer window. However, he stressed that the club would not spend at the same level as some of their Premier League rivals. So far, United have spent approximately £85m to acquire Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans, and Karl Darlow. This contrasts with other ‘big six’ clubs, such as Chelsea, who bought Morgan Rogers for £117m, Manchester City, who signed Elliott Anderson for £116m, and Tottenham, who secured Sandro Tonali in a deal that could reach £100m. Manchester United remains the only ‘big six’ side not to have broken the £100m threshold on a single player.
Carrick acknowledged the financial disparities, stating that while money is a factor, the competition ultimately lies in the football. He emphasised the need to make the most of the current situation and continue pushing to win. When asked about not matching rivals’ spending, Carrick admitted he did not have the answers but confirmed the club is pushing to maximise its efforts.
The match also highlights the contrast between Ruben Amorim‘s previous tenure at Manchester United and Michael Carrick‘s current management. Amorim’s 14-month spell at Old Trafford ended with a 38 per cent win rate, the lowest for any permanent Manchester United manager since Sir Alex Ferguson‘s retirement. He was sacked in January following a turbulent period. Amorim has since reflected on his time at United, acknowledging that he made mistakes during his tenure, and expressed pride in having been the coach for a year.
Amorim is now attempting to implement his preferred three-at-the-back formation at AC Milan, a system that reportedly caused issues during his time at Old Trafford due to his unwillingness to adapt. In contrast, Michael Carrick has been credited with bringing a more flexible and attacking style to Manchester United, which was evident in their 2-0 victory over Manchester City in his first game in charge. Carrick’s approach has reportedly fostered a more optimistic atmosphere at Old Trafford, with players like Leny Yoro and Bryan Mbeumo expressing ambitions to win the league this season. The friendly match kicked off with the score at 0-0.
Source: independent.co.uk
