Wayne Rooney reveals 'disappointment' with Michael Carrick decision vs Ipswich

Michael Carrick got Manchester United back to winning ways against Ipswich (Credits: MatchDay Images)

Wayne Rooney has accused Michael Carrick of ‘missing an opportunity’ during Manchester United’s convincing 5-2 win over Ipswich Town.

The Red Devils were stunned by newly-promoted Hull City last weekend and were condemned to a shock 2-0 defeat that sparked fears last season’s late revival would represent another false dawn.

United looked to be heading for another disaster when Leif Davis fired the visitors to Old Trafford into a shock lead, but Bruno Fernandes’ equaliser settled the nerves before a second half onslaught.

With the contest all but settled midway through the second period, Carrick rang the changes, introducing the likes of Benjamin Sesko, Andrey Santos and Noussair Mazraoui.

Handing game time to first team fringe players badly in need of minutes did come at a cost, however, with Carrick unable to blood one of the club’s most exciting youngsters in Shea Lacey.

The teenager impressed in pre-season but Rooney is struggling to see where opportunities will present themselves if Carrick isn’t prepared to blood Lacey in matches where the result has already been determined.

Rooney told the United Stand: ‘What I would liked to have seen which I’m a bit disappointed we didn’t see was Shea Lacey come on when the game was done.

Shea Lacey was an unused subsitute against Ipswich (Credits: Every Second Media)

‘For young players when the game is over it’s an opportunity for them to go and get some minutes and go and show what they can do at that level.

‘I would’ve liked to see Shea Lacey come on just to get a glimpse of what we’ve seen in pre-season.

‘I know we got a bit complacent with their second goal but the game has opened up a bit, you get on the goal a little bit and you might get that goal which we saw with Rashford years ago when he got thrown into the team, got his two goals and kicks on from there.

‘It’s little moments like that where you don’t get many times during the season where you’re able to do that. So that was a little bit of a missed opportunity.’

Carrick, meanwhile, admits United could be active before the transfer deadline and says Marcus Rashford feels like a new signing after the returning forward helped secure three points against the Tractor Boys.

United managed that after Luke Shaw was all too easily beaten by Abdul Fatawu to cross for Davis to give Ipswich the advantage and highlight United’s left-back issues.

An addition in that area is among the possibilities before Tuesday’s transfer deadline – a point many at the start of the window predicted Rashford would have left by.

Instead, the 28-year-old has parked any frustration about Barcelona not making his loan permanent to return to the fold, impressing from the outset on his first Old Trafford appearance in 90 weeks.

Marcus Rashford returned to the Manchester United starting line-up against Ipswich (Credits: Matt West/Shutterstock)

Asked about potential transfer activity, United boss Carrick said: ‘It’s always difficult to say, to be honest, when there’s so little time left.