Michael Carrick said Manchester United had “no excuses” after they were beaten 4-2 by AC Milan in their final pre-season friendly in Wroclaw.
United took the lead twice but were eventually overwhelmed by the Italian side, who scored three times in the second half to complete a comeback victory. Carrick admitted his team had not produced the standard expected of them and said the result must be used to identify and correct the problems exposed before the start of the new season.
Speaking to MUTV after the match, the Manchester United manager described the club’s preparations as positive overall. However, he made clear that the defeat by Milan could not be dismissed, particularly with some players still gaining their first competitive minutes of the build-up campaign.
Carrick said the players were disappointed by both the performance and the final score. He acknowledged that several factors had influenced the way the team played, but rejected the idea that those factors should be treated as explanations for a below-par display.
The central point, he said, was that Manchester United had not played well enough.
United made an excellent start in Wroclaw and needed only about 100 seconds to go ahead. Harry Maguire put them in front with a header, but AC Milan soon restored parity through Samuel Chukwueze.
Manchester United regained the advantage after the interval when Patrick Dorgu found the net. Their lead did not last, though, as Milan quickly turned the match in their favour.
Alfadjo Cisse equalised before Goncalo Ramos and Ruben Loftus-Cheek scored in succession, completing three unanswered goals and securing a 4-2 win for the Italian club.
The defeat was only Manchester United’s second in six friendly matches during their pre-season programme. Their preparations have also included a victory over Atletico de Madrid and a 1-1 draw with Paris Saint-Germain, the reigning European champions.
Marcus Rashford returned to action for Manchester United for the first time since December 2024. The forward had spent the intervening period on loan at Barcelona before rejoining Carrick’s squad.
Carrick made six substitutions during the game as he attempted to give as many players as possible valuable minutes before the competitive campaign begins. He said that the playing time would benefit the squad, but also warned that the strength of the group would create difficult selection decisions for the coaching staff.
With players competing for places, Carrick and his staff will have to decide which combinations and individuals they trust when the matches begin to carry competitive significance.
Manchester United’s first Premier League fixture is scheduled for 22 August, when they face newly promoted Hull City. That match will provide the first opportunity to assess how effectively the team has responded to the lessons from the Milan defeat.
Carrick will now expect the players to draw on the positive aspects of their pre-season while addressing the defensive and performance issues that allowed AC Milan to overturn a second-half deficit.
