Michael Carrick has impressed everyone by often doing the exact opposite of what Ruben Amorim did, but the jury is out on his latest decision.
Despite being at Man Utd for six months already, the upcoming pre-season will be Michael Carrick’s first as the permanent manager.
It seems like an era ago, but even Ruben Amorim was at Man Utd for only one pre-season, and it was a pre-season full of fireworks.
Carrick’s pre-season has gotten off to an anti-climactic start, and the jury is out after his stance on Marcus Rashford and Andre Onana.
What are Michael Carrick’s three biggest priorities this summer to prepare for 2026/27?🤔
The Manchester United head coach has so much work to do…
Marcus Rashford and Andre Onana return for pre-season
The fireworks under Amorim started from day one of pre-season, when a “bomb squad” was announced, for lack of better wording.
Five players were told from the very first day that they have no future at the club, training separately, arriving separately, and not considered for selection.
Amorim drew a line in the sand for these players that there is no coming back from it.
Carrick’s start of pre-season is a while away, but already, there are indications that Rashford and Onana will return to pre-season training.
Shifting them so early was always going to be difficult, but early signs indicate that Carrick will take the carrot approach if Amorim took the stick approach.
He has largely avoided unsettling the apple cart, so players like Rashford and Onana will test that thinking because neither should have a future at Old Trafford.
Does Carrick make that clear to them on day one and freeze them out, as Amorim did, or does he play the diplomatic game?
Michael Carrick’s decision won’t be black or white
This is one of those instances where it can’t be said definitively that Carrick is improving on Amorim’s error.
Marcus Rashford evidently does not want to return to Man Utd – There is no way back for him surely?!
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On one hand, bringing these players back into the fold, if only to show the world as posturing, protects their value in the transfer market.
On the other hand, if that comes at the cost of unsettling a perfect dressing room, then questions need to be asked whether it was worth it.
When other clubs know that Carrick can make it work with these players if they’re not sold, then United can’t be put in a desperate position to shift them at any cost.
At the same time, setting the dressing room standards is where Amorim excelled, with these non-negotiables a key part of that.
The decision from Carrick won’t be black or white, and it certainly will divide Man Utd fans as well. Ultimately, results will speak for themselves, with or without Rashford and Onana returning.
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