Manchester United concluded their pre-season tour with a worrying display in a 4-2 defeat against Ruben Amorim’s AC Milan in Wroclaw.
The result overshadowed the victories against Rosenborg, Atletico Madrid and Leeds, should you choose to factor in a penalty shootout success after a score draw.
However, with Premier League duties on the horizon, a limp performance is where the focus should lie, and many questions will need to be answered in the coming days.
Michael Carrick named a formidable starting XI with quality from back to front, particularly within the midfield duo of Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans, who sat behind Bruno Fernandes.
There were a few notable faces on the substitutes’ bench also, with Lisandro Martinez and JJ Gabriel joining the returning Kobbie Mainoo and Marcus Rashford.
Say what you will about the intent, or lack of it, displayed by the sporting department throughout the transfer window, but Carrick’s men have looked extremely polished during their pre-season excursions.
So it came as little surprise when United burst out of the blocks, and Patrick Dorgu forced a corner inside the opening minute with a rasping effort.
Those in attendance appeared even less surprised when Harry Maguire headed the game’s opener from the resulting set-piece, crafted once more by the pinpoint accuracy of Fernandes’ remarkable boot.
But to their credit, Milan responded well and owned large quantities of the ball for the remainder of the half, with Ruben Loftus-Cheek twice testing Senne Lammens inside the opening quarter.
If there was a somewhat concerning observation for the travelling Reds, it was a recurring pattern of squandering possession in attempts to transition at a frantic pace, inevitably leading to Samuel Chukwueze’s equaliser after 37 minutes.
Unlike previous weeks, passages of play seemed erratic. Carrick’s men looked incapable of controlling the tempo, and appeared uncomfortable at times.
Regardless, United were presented with an opportunity to regain the lead from the penalty spot when Tielemans was brought to ground in the final minutes.
Unfortunately, for the second consecutive fixture, Bruno was unable to find the back of the net from 12 yards, and the teams returned to their dressing rooms level.
Despite the concerning visuals for those on the ground and at home, Carrick chose to hold off on reinforcements and instead demanded a suitable response from his starters.
Expectedly, he received just that, as United upped their gear for the restart and reclaimed the lead inside six minutes.
Dorgu reacted quickest to a calamity of a throw-in deep inside Milan’s half before calmly slotting past a helpless Lorenzo Torriani.
But a tumultuous display continued to frustrate the United faithful, and Milan drew level moments later through Alphadjo Cisse. The Italian was on hand to tap home an uncontested finish at the far post after further questionable defending.
Carrick did eventually turn to his bench on the hour to make widespread alterations, introducing Bryan Mbeumo, Shea Lacey, Diogo Dalot, Rashford, Mainoo and Martinez.
Nonetheless, Milan continued to press matters, deservedly taking the lead through a Goncalo Ramos headed effort after 68 minutes. Again, it was far too easy for the Rossoneri.
Loftus-Cheek added a fourth within minutes after United were carved apart on the left flank, allowing the former Chelsea man to run 40 yards before slotting past Lammens.
The remainder of the half was played out in a typical summer fashion, with neither side truly offering anything of note, as an Italian backline matched the majority of United’s attacking intent.
Having played less than three days ago in Dublin, fatigue, travel and fixture congestion may have contributed to this underwhelming Polish display.
But with the upcoming demands of a rigorous calendar that will tackle multiple games at home and on the continent, it’s fair to say that this wasn’t the ideal conclusion to an otherwise positive summer.
Let us know your thoughts in the comments or across our social channels–photo via manutd.com.
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