MU is very much like... a dark horse

The 2-4 loss in the friendly against AC Milan might transform Manchester United from a Premier League championship contender into a genuine dark horse.

1. Finishing third and achieving 7 wins, 1 draw, and 2 losses in 10 matches against the Big Six in the world's toughest league last season, based on a resource created by a group of experienced players in the English league, generated a psychological strength that they can maintain this level, and that only minimal squad reinforcement is needed to compete for the title.

In fact, Manchester United's biggest problem last season was Ruben Amorim. The decision to sack the Portuguese manager and put the team in the hands of Michael Carrick, with simpler football ideas more suited to the current squad, helped the Red Devils stabilize both mentally and physically.

At the same time, the schedule of one match per week was also a "privilege" that helped the 45-year-old coach's squad, lacking depth, accumulate maximum points. A scenario very similar to clubs considered dark horses finishing in the top group.

Of course, the optimism of the Red Devils' leadership naturally turned into a dangerous sleight of hand regarding the quality of the squad and actual competitiveness. Despite Old Trafford welcoming a host of new names like Tielemans and Andrey Santos, as well as Rashford's return, from a tactical perspective, Manchester United is no longer the team that finished third last season.

The Red Devils showed a series of errors in the loss to Milan, because none of these players are Casemiro. Specifically, within just 14 minutes of the second half of the match in Poland, Manchester United was beaten by direct attacks targeting Tielemans' position and the slow center-back pair of Maguire and Heaven. This was an impregnable area for the Red Devils when number 18 was still playing.

Carrick's success last season was built on a deep defensive block and quick counter-attacks, relying on the Brazilian midfielder. The Red Devils are at their best when the player currently playing for Inter Miami is at his best. He completely freed up creativity for Bruno Fernandes and the forwards ahead.

2. One of the simplest principles to strengthen or develop a squad is to maintain a stable football philosophy and model. Ensure perfect replacements for departed stars and quality additions in necessary positions.

Perhaps, Carrick and the club's management prepared for the new season with the assumption that the football elements achieved last season would help the team transition from defensive skills to the "art" of ball possession.

Therefore, personnel priorities were directed towards minds with modern football thinking, developing play through short passes with spatial orientation, from Tielemans' deepest position to Andrey Santos, who tends to play more offensively in the midfield area.

But losing Casemiro means losing a warrior who softens the opponent's play and maximizes the strength of the Red Devils' system. The loss to Milan is seen as a direct warning: without strength in midfield, every football structure or attacking idea collapses.

At the same time, other positions needing increased competition and depth, such as center-back, full-back, and a striker better than Sesko, were not addressed. With the current squad, coupled with a congested schedule requiring constant rotation, Manchester United can hardly "survive" past the halfway point of the season, because it seems Carrick will again rely too heavily on Bruno Fernandes, who is not always reliable when tasked with bearing the entire responsibility for the team's success.

On the other hand, Manchester United will enter the new season without the elements of surprise in football or personnel. They become a team that is conquering rather than a collective playing with a relaxed mindset and nothing to lose. These are the reasons why they are doubted as a dark horse of the tournament.