Manchester United closed the pre-season preparation period with a 2-4 defeat to AC Milan. This result raises many questions about the appearance of the "Red Devils" before the Premier League 2026-2027 kicks off.
The biggest positive points lie in Bryan Mbeumo and Amad Diallo. After the last stage of last season showing signs of decline, both regained dynamism and brought many promising signs in the friendly matches.
Mbeumo is particularly sharp in front of the goal, while Amad continues to maintain confidence after an impressive performance with the Ivory Coast team at the 2026 World Cup.
Another notable name is Joshua Zirkzee. The Dutch striker shows a much more positive appearance than in previous seasons, although his future at Old Trafford is still uncertain. The performance against Leeds at Croke Park shows that Zirkzee could become a worthwhile option in the number 10 position, even supporting Bruno Fernandes when necessary.
After two seasons without a clear mark, his third season at Man United may be an opportunity for Zirkzee to change his position.
Man United needs another left-back
The biggest change lies in the way Man United operates tactics under Michael Carrick.
In the last six months of last season, M.U often proactively retreated deep, maintained tight formation distance and waited for counter-attack opportunities. This approach helped them achieve some important results.
However, the pre-season period witnessed a more proactive Man United. They pushed up the squad, put more pressure and tried to regain the ball immediately after losing control.
This is an ambitious direction but also entails risks. The defeat to AC Milan exposed one of them when Man United's pressing was not effective enough. The fourth goal conceded is the clearest example when Milan easily exploited the space behind the high-lying defense.
This further emphasizes the need to strengthen the left-back position. Luke Shaw can hardly play continuously when the season enters a tense period with a tight schedule.
More importantly, a high defensive system requires right-backs to be able to cover and return to their positions quickly. Man United therefore not only needs an additional rotation option for Shaw, but also needs a player suitable for the new playing style.
Time on the transfer market is running out and this is a problem that Carrick and the board of directors need to solve soon.
Rashford is still an unfinished story
Marcus Rashford is also continuing to be a topic of interest at Old Trafford.
After playing for Barcelona on loan, the English striker returned to Man United in an uncertain future. However, initial signs are quite positive as Rashford is said to be excited about returning and willing to work with Carrick.
Carrick once affirmed that Rashford is still his player and wants to work with this striker in the new season. However, the possibility of Rashford leaving Old Trafford has not been ruled out. That largely depends on the level of interest from other teams in the last weeks of the transfer window, as well as the player's own choice.
With Mbeumo, Amad and Zirkzee performing well, while Rashford is still at a crossroads, Man United has both reasons to be optimistic and issues to be resolved before the Premier League kicks off.
