A 3-2 win over Liverpool secured Manchester United’s Champions League qualification for next season. The 0-0 draw against Sunderland made clear which players are equipped for the obstacles European football will bring.
United were undercooked and underwhelming at the Stadium of Light, as a rotated side struggled to play with the sort of accuracy or aggression that has characterised their best performances under Michael Carrick.
Before the trip to the north east, the mood in and around the club had turned to forecasting the future. Had Carrick done enough to be confirmed as United’s permanent manager? Will Bruno Fernandes reach the elusive 20 Premier League assists record? Could any of Carrington’s best and brightest graduate from the academy and into the senior team for a few minutes?
The draw provided few satisfactory answers, instead raising a collection of concerns. Do United have enough squad quality to make a deep run in next season’s Champions League?
Which areas need to be strengthened outside of central midfield? How do Carrick and his coaching staff guard against any complacency across the season’s final games?
Opinion will vary on how many conclusions can be read from United’s performances after securing Champions League football earlier than expected, but Carrick’s men toiled through tricky situations against Sunderland.
They registered only one shot on target within the game, while Senne Lammens had to be alert to stop Brian Brobbey and Noah Sadiki from scoring. There is much work to be done.
“It was a tough game,” said Carrick in his post-match press conference. “Credit to Sunderland, we knew it was going to be a tough game coming here anyway. We had to dig deep at times. It wasn’t our best, but actually to take something from the game when you’re not at your best is a good trait that we’re trying to build as well.”
Saturday’s draw could best be attributed to squad rotation, with the injury-enforced absences of Benjamin Sesko and Casemiro prompting Carrick to make five alterations to the starting XI that saw off Liverpool.
Mason Mount and Joshua Zirkzee were given rare Premier League starts, but neither man produced enough to warrant another chance against Nottingham Forest next Sunday.
Mount has endured a stop-start United career with multiple injuries making it difficult for him to cement a place and the England international was paired with Kobbie Mainoo in the holding midfield positions. They were tidy in possession but lacked the bruising brilliance of Casemiro.
Mason Mount played in a deeper midfield position (Alfie Cosgrove/News Images/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Such was the aggression of Sunderland’s press that United spent the majority of the first hour unable to play out of their half. They lacked the precision to pass through Regis Le Bris’ side, and were unable to move the ball with the necessary pace to get around it.
Lammens’ attempts to kick long and play over Sunderland were blunted by a team shape ill-suited to fight for second balls. Ambitious runs off the ball from Matheus Cunha and others went unanswered by a midfield unable to hit long, probing passes into channels. Carrick’s starting line-up revealed plenty about United’s squad depth, one that is ill-equipped to compete on four fronts in 2026-27.
Their pursuit of a successor to Casemiro is well known; this draw reiterated the many tasks any incoming defensive midfielder will have to take on. His successor will have to be a positionally clever, athletic ball-winner with a good passing range and — ideally — the ability to dominate aerial duels. It is a lengthy list of desirable attributes. Sign the right defensive midfielder, and it will lift United’s tactical capabilities. Get it wrong, and United may have more middling performances like this one.
The blunt attack was not helped by Zirkzee’s sluggishness. The self-described “9.5” jarred with a team around him. It was the Dutchman’s first start since December, and he lacked the consistency in touch and link-up play to make his style effective. An unassertive header on goal in the first half prompted Fernandes to have a few words.
Matheus Cunha was a willing runner but rarely found (Alfie Cosgrove/News Images/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
A centre-forward for United cannot be content with garnishing games with a few elegant touches. There has to be an intensity in application. Zirkzee was substituted in the 65th minute for Patrick Dorgu. His United career has fizzled in places — but failed to fly.
A centre-forward alternative to Sesko and Mbeumo may feature in director of football Jason Wilcox’s list of transfer considerations. This draw is the first fixture in which United failed to score in 23 matches, yet Carrick said he is almost “offended” over concerns that players may grow complacent after the Champions League was secured.
“If we weren’t in a good headspace and motivated, we lose the game today,” Carrick said. “Sunderland played really well at certain points and made us work for it.”
“We had pride in ourselves, and each other, and the responsibility of playing for this great club. Motivation and focus are not the reason, whether we’re going to be brilliant, or maybe we’re gonna have a performance where it comes a little bit more challenging. Whether it’s today or the next two games, that (complacency) won’t be affected at all.”
United players are not “on the beach”, but shortcomings will need to be addressed before the holiday season and the World Cup.
There is a passivity in and out of possession that Carrick and his coaching staff will want to iron out for the remaining two matches. Summer recruitment needs to be purposeful rather than padding out the squad.
A lot of work needs to be done if they wish to properly contend for honours in 2026-27.
