Michael Carrick’s Manchester United thrashed Rosenborg 5-0 on Thursday, claiming his first victory as permanent manager and putting last week’s defeat behind them. But the handsome preseason scoreline masks a deeper challenge: building a squad capable of juggling four competitions after a third-place Premier League finish earned a Champions League return.
Ruben Amorim, sacked in 2026 and now at AC Milan, warned 12 months ago that United’s absence from Europe made his job manageable. “Without the Champions League, we also don’t need a big squad,” he said. “We can control the squad in a better way.” That luxury is gone for Carrick, who must now assemble a roster to challenge in the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup after embarrassing early domestic cup exits last season.
“Carrick's Man Utd thrashed Rosenborg 5-0, but Amorim's past squad warning looms as Champions League adds fixture strain.”
Carrick has already signed Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans, Tynan Thompson and Karl Darlow, with Manu Kone, Rafael Leao, Alex Scott and Lewis Hall touted as further targets. Departures are also on the horizon, with Marcus Rashford, Joshua Zirkzee and Radek Vitek attracting interest. As the new boss shapes his squad, Amorim’s 11-word warning — “Without the Champions League, we also don’t need a big squad” — will ring louder than any preseason scoreline.