Michael Carrick's 'one big concern' about Man United players revealed by inside source
Manchester United supporters have been urged not to worry despite some concerning pre-season results under Michael Carrick.
While there may be some concerns for the boss to iron out when the Premier League season begins later this week, recent results are not seen as important.
This comes after the reaction to Man United’s 4-2 defeat against Ruben Amorim’s AC Milan last time out, with fans expressing their frustrations.
Former Man United assistant manager Mick Brown told Football Insider that pre-season results have little impact on the season, but some issues have become clear.
The biggest concern Carrick will face ahead of the start of the new season is regarding the fitness of his star players, many of whom have hardly featured.
Man United are preparing for a visit to Hull City on 22 August, and with their pre-season calendar now completed, all eyes are on competitive fixtures.
Should Man United be concerned about pre-season results?
Brown warned Football Insider back in May that Carrick has significant work to do at Old Trafford despite a successful spell as interim manager.
The defeat against AC Milan came following a draw against rivals Leeds, but United also secured victories against Atletico Madrid and a draw against PSG.
Work is still ongoing to get his squad fit and firing for the new season, and while fans will express their frustrations, there are no issues behind the scenes.
"Pre-season results are definitely not something to be concerned about," Brown told Football Insider.
"The only time it’s worth worrying is if players aren’t performing to the level you might expect, or they’re not doing what they’re being asked to do, but that doesn’t seem to be an issue.
"Fans think they're seeing worrying signs when the team are conceding goals or not winning, but ultimately that's not important.
"I've been at clubs where we’ve gone through the whole of pre-season without a win, struggling in every game, and then gone into the new season winning every week.
"I've also been at club where we have the best pre-season possible, win every game, and then lose the first competitive game we play.
"So you can’t read too much into results, the real work is focused on fitness and patterns of play, most of it takes place on the training ground.
"The one concern Michael Carrick will have is about the player’s fitness, because a bit chunk of them have hardly featured in pre-season.
"Kobbie Mainoo, Benjamin Sesko, Marcus Rashford, even Bruno Fernandes, these players and more have hardly played if at all.
"So that’s a concern for Carrick going into the start of the season, but the work will be done on the training ground to get them up to speed, it shouldn’t be a major issue."
What is Michael Carrick's focus ahead of the new season?
Amid some concerns expressed by supporters about recent pre-season results, they are far from the biggest worry for Carrick ahead of the new season.
Work is still ongoing in the transfer market as United look to strengthen key areas of their squad, with plans in place to maximise their chances of success.
One priority for the Red Devils is at left-back, and Brown told Football Insider on 16 August that Joaquin Seys has been identified as a leading target.
The 21-year-old, who can play on both sides of the defence, impressed for Belgium at the World Cup and has emerged as a target for multiple top clubs across Europe.
The Belgium international would come in as an understudy for Luke Shaw, before taking over the position long-term as Man United aim to prepare for the future.