Coach Carrick blocks Ronaldo’s chance to reunite with Man Utd

Coach Michael Carrick is reportedly reluctant about the plan to take Man Utd to the Middle East for a mid-season friendly match aimed at commercial purposes.

According to The Times, Man Utd initially had plans to play a friendly in the Middle East that could generate significant revenue. Earlier this season, Coach Ruben Amorim stated that the club “had to do it”.

However, acting coach Michael Carrick and Man Utd now seem to have withdrawn from this plan as the club’s interest in the commercial friendly has diminished. Although talks might resume after the international break, Man Utd previously viewed this week as an ideal time to hold the exhibition match, which could have brought in millions of pounds. The Old Trafford side will face West Ham on Tuesday, followed by a 13-day break before their next match against Everton, having been knocked out of the FA Cup.

This means Man Utd will miss the opportunity to face Cristiano Ronaldo, the legendary former Old Trafford star who is currently playing for Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia.

Regarding Man Utd, the team has won all four of their recent Premier League matches under Carrick and currently sits fourth, one point ahead of fifth-placed Chelsea and 12 points behind league leaders Arsenal. Carrick believes that not competing in European tournaments and an early FA Cup exit have allowed the team more training time, improving their defensive capabilities, as shown by two clean sheets in the last four games.

He shared: “It’s clearly very positive, and winning games is easier when you don’t have to score too many goals each week. We are a team that can cause problems for opponents, create chances, and score, so the key is to find balance.

There are still areas to improve. We have focused on playing better as a unit without the ball, but three or four weeks isn’t enough to fix everything and become perfect immediately.”

The English coach added: “You have to enjoy the thrill of winning; that’s why we do this job. You need to manage those moments of excitement and savor the feeling of victory.”

In the match against West Ham, Man Utd will be without Matthijs de Ligt, Mason Mount, and Patrick Dorgu. Carrick said: “Mason will return for the Everton game. It feels like Matthijs has been out for quite a while, so we will monitor his recovery. He’s very active and progressing well, but Mason is closer to coming back.”