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Ruben Amorim's 11-word comment about Man Utd speaks volumes for Michael Carrick
Jul 25 2026 06:17 · By Abbie Meehan/Senior Sports Writer · 12 Reads
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Ruben Amorim may not be at Manchester United anymore but comments he made 12 months ago will ring true for Michael Carrick now. A simple statement he made about not requiring a huge squad now acts as a warning to the new manager that his current team will need to grow in order to compete.
The new AC Milan boss made the claim while still at the helm at Old Trafford , explaining that the club's absence from Europe last season had at least made his job more manageable. He said: "We always prepare two plans. With and without the Champions League. Without the Champions League, we also don't need a big squad.
"We can control the squad in a better way. Then we have a plan, that is to bring in some new players, but our big plan is to improve the team we have, to improve the Academy.
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"It was the past, so it can be the future. It can't change much because of Financial Fair Play, we are not allowed to do much, even with the Champions League, so we are prepared."
In 2026, Carrick stepped in to replace the sacked Amorim and guided his side to a third-place finish in the Premier League - meaning European football has returned to Old Trafford. As a result, the new manager must now assemble a roster capable of sustaining a challenge across four competitions.
United will compete for trophies in the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup. They suffered early exits from both domestic cup competitions last season, and Carrick will be determined to ensure such embarrassing defeats are not repeated.
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The former club captain has been hard at work reshaping his squad ahead of the new campaign. United have already secured the signings of Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans, Tynan Thompson and Karl Darlow, with further signings expected as they look to build a roster capable of handling the season's demands.
Manu Kone, Rafael Leao, Alex Scott and Lewis Hall have all been touted as potential targets in a list that will undoubtedly expand as the window progresses.
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