Manager Michael Carrick speaks to the media on 13/8. Photo: Man Utd

Michael Carrick entered the luxurious conference room at Carton House, the five-star spa hotel where Man Utd has been based for the past week, with a beaming smile. There were several reasons for the English coach to be pleased.

Back home, his daughter Louise had just received her A-Level results, the pre-university qualification in England. Meanwhile, in the Republic of Ireland, the late return of Kobbie Mainoo, Marcus Rashford, and Lisandro Martinez after the World Cup 2026 brought new energy to the team, just hours after Man Utd defeated Leeds in a penalty shootout during a friendly match at Croke Park.

Unlike his predecessor Ruben Amorim, Carrick is a composed manager. Challenging questions do not unsettle him, leading the Man Utd board to believe he will not cause internal turmoil within the team as occurred under Amorim.

This is also why Man Utd is ready to "open its doors" to Amazon filmmakers for this season's behind-the-scenes documentary series "All or Nothing". However, composure does not mean Carrick lacks ambition. He is also determined to win.

This summer, rivals for the top 4 such as Chelsea, Man City, and Tottenham have all spent over 135 million USD. Even newly promoted teams like Coventry and Ipswich have spent more money than Man Utd.

Therefore, Carrick's message to the board is clear. "You cannot just buy for the sake of buying, but of course we want to improve, we need to improve. That is certainly what we are aiming for," he stated.

Youri Tielemans during a Man Utd training session on 11/8. Photo: X / Man Utd

To date, Man Utd has only brought in Youri Tielemans, Andrey Santos, and reserve goalkeeper Karl Darlow to reinforce the first team. Tynan Thompson, a defender purchased from Tottenham for 10,8 million USD, is considered an investment for the future.

"I have to say that Karl, Andrey, and Youri are exactly what we hoped and expected, in every aspect," Carrick said. "With Andrey, for such a young player to join the team in the way he has, with that personality and character, it truly is a dream. Literally, he is a dream."

Nevertheless, Carrick understands Man Utd needs further additions. The team still lacks a left-back, after two unsuccessful attempts to sign Lewis Hall from Newcastle this summer. Another central midfielder is also in the plans.

During the conversation, Carrick mentioned four times that Man Utd needs to "keep working" in the transfer market.

"I think when you look at the squad overall, we have a pretty good balance, but of course we want more players. We want more, we need to keep looking," he said. "There are one or two positions where we want to improve and feel we can improve. But those deals must make the team better, raise the quality, or increase depth."

Football director Jason Wilcox is also in Ireland and maintains "regular contact" with Carrick.

With a rather economical approach this summer, Man Utd has not been able to sign top targets such as Elliot Anderson (a midfielder who joined Man City for a fee of 153 million USD), Morgan Rogers (a forward who moved to Chelsea for a record 158 million USD), and several other players. The question arises whether Man Utd truly has enough strength to compete for the Premier League title this season.

"I think you have to have belief. You have to go into the season thinking that we can achieve something special," Carrick said, although he did not want to make overly strong statements about the season ahead.

The 45-year-old coach continued: "Don't go into the season thinking this could be a tough fight. Man Utd must set a goal to truly achieve something. We certainly have the potential to create something truly special. I am not shying away from that, and the team should aim for that goal. I will not make crazy predictions, but based on what we have done, I must reiterate that it gives us confidence to move forward. How fast Man Utd can progress, that is the challenge."

The future of Marcus Rashford, who recently returned after Barca did not activate his buy-out clause following his loan spell, remains uncertain. The English forward currently earns a weekly salary of 439,000 USD, and to reduce the wage burden, Man Utd has long been ready to sell Rashford. The club has also actively sought a left winger throughout the summer, with Crysencio Summerville being a target before he chose to move to Saudi club Al Hilal.

"Marcus is a very good player. I think if a player has a career that lasts 10 or 15 years, there will be times when things go in a different direction," Carrick said, but did not rule out the possibility of Rashford leaving Old Trafford before the transfer window closes. "There will be ups and downs, and that cannot be judged by a single moment. What matters is what happens over time."

Kobbie Mainoo has also returned. Carrick kept in touch with the midfielder throughout the summer via messages, regularly checking in as Mainoo went through the entire World Cup 2026 without playing a single minute. However, Carrick is not worried. In fact, he believes Mainoo has returned ready to make a strong impact in the Premier League and Champions League.

"The most important thing for me is that Kobbie is in a really good state," the English coach expressed. "I think he feels that too. He is back, back home, and ready for a big season."

Nonetheless, squad depth remains a concern as Man Utd returns to European competition this season. "We are not naive, we know what we are stepping into," Carrick said about the risk of playing an additional 15-20 matches compared to last season, when Man Utd played only 40 matches – the lowest in the club's history. "But in many ways, we feel the current squad is stronger than last season. So, we just need to capitalize on that."

Man Utd will also play a friendly against AC Milan on 15/8 before starting the new season against Hull City in the first round of the Premier League on 22/8.

Hong Duy (according to Daily Mail)