Following an away defeat to Hull City in the opening match, Carrick faces an important decision regarding the starting XI for this weekend's clash against Ipswich Town.

This season will always be one of ups and downs, with Manchester United dealing with a new midfield, a permanent manager, and the return of Champions League football to their schedule. Manchester United hoped they had already passed the lowest point of the 2026/27 season.

The cancellation of trains from Hull City to Manchester only added insult to injury for travelling supporters. Manchester United has experienced some difficult moments in recent years, but this match carries equally significant real-world consequences.

Momentum has been slowly building at Old Trafford since Carrick returned to the dugout. A cautious approach in the transfer window could dampen expectations, but Manchester United's completed signings have generally been solid, with plenty of activity still possible in the final week. Unless there is a high-profile new signing, it will be difficult for fans to forget Saturday's heavy defeat.

Manchester United were outplayed tactically and lost the physical battles in Humberside. Hull City's set-piece organization was highly effective, and they had McBurnie, a focal point that Manchester United lack. When Bruno Fernandes repeatedly shot from 30 yards and Maguire constantly pushed forward trying to accelerate play, you know something is wrong.

While Carrick emphasized that he saw "many good things" from his team, there weren't many genuine highlights. However, Rashford's return to competitive action for Manchester United brought a glimmer of hope.

The former Barcelona loanee came on in the first half after a sluggish Manchester United display. Carrick defended his decision to replace Patrick Dorgu with Rashford, saying he "wanted to try something a bit different," but Rashford clearly injected more dynamism into Manchester United's attack.

Rashford not only looked more threatening than Dorgu, but his partnership with Luke Shaw also created Manchester United's best chance to get back into the match.

The pair formed a brilliant partnership on the left wing until Rashford was left out of the squad by Ruben Amorim. Saturday's performance was enough to make people forget that they hadn't played together in an official match for 20 months. Rashford can certainly bring a different type of threat to Manchester United's attack, but his ability to activate Luke Shaw in the offensive phase should also not be overlooked.

Rashford could still leave Old Trafford before the transfer window closes, but judging from reactions in the dressing room, including from Carrick, nobody wants that to happen. Now wearing the iconic number 9 shirt, Rashford looks ready to make his mark at his boyhood club again.

One word Carrick has repeatedly emphasized since taking over is "consistency" – both in Manchester United's performances and in his approach to the media – and Rashford, unfortunately, has lacked this throughout his career. But under Carrick, there is genuine hope that he can rediscover his best form and deliver the performances everyone at the club knows he is capable of.

This weekend's match against Ipswich Town will be Carrick's second game as Manchester United manager and a real test for him.

No one has hit the panic button yet, but Carrick knows better than most that at Manchester United, you are often just two or three matches away from a crisis.

If they lose on Sunday, it will look very bad, given widespread expectations that Manchester United should have taken six points from their opening two matches.

Mainoo and Martinez, who returned late from the World Cup, have now had an extra week of training and are competing for starting positions. Rashford's playing time since returning has exceeded that of Mainoo and Martinez. Now it's up to Carrick to get him in the starting lineup.

Manchester United must start quickly in front of their home fans on Sunday and quickly erase the poor performance in the away trip to Hull City. If the reaction of the away fans to Rashford on Saturday is any indication, he will surely receive a warm welcome when he returns to Old Trafford to face Ipswich Town, which could provide the much-needed boost Manchester United require in a must-win match.

Thirteen months after his move to Barcelona, with his number 10 taken over by Cunha, the only way Rashford seemed able to return to the Old Trafford pitch was to play for the opposition. On Sunday, he will return to Old Trafford wearing Manchester United's red shirt, wearing number 9, and he might even be a starter.

It's truly been a turbulent journey.

Diterjemahkan oleh AI.

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