Carrick delighted with youngsters after United's five-goal rout of Rosenborg
Manchester United recorded their first victory of the preparations for the 2026/27 season with a convincing 5-0 triumph over Rosenborg at Lerkendal Stadium in Trondheim. In the friendly match played on 24 July, Michael Carrick's side combined an effective attacking performance with a string of notable displays from players developed in the club's academy. Shea Lacey opened the scoring in the first half, Joshua Zirkzee then produced a technically outstanding goal, while Jacob Devaney, Harry Amass and Ethan Williams confirmed the victory after the break. For United, the match carried greater value than the result alone because Carrick was able to distribute playing time between the more experienced first-team players and a large number of youngsters. Following the opening 1-0 defeat to Wrexham in Helsinki, the performance in Norway brought a clearer rhythm, greater control of the ball and considerably more cutting edge in the final third.
After the match, Carrick particularly highlighted the energy and courage of the young players who were given an opportunity in the second half. Speaking to the club's media, he stressed that academy footballers must make use of moments like these to show how close they are to senior level, and he assessed their response against Rosenborg as highly positive. The United coach was also pleased that his team kept a clean sheet and, according to the information available after the match, avoided any new injuries. During pre-season, when the workload is gradually increased, such an outcome is often just as important to the coaching staff as the number of goals scored. Carrick nevertheless warned that the team was still nowhere near its final form, but stressed that after two weeks of work, progress could be seen in the players' intensity, confidence and mutual understanding.
Lacey opened the scoring, Zirkzee defined the evening
From the start, United sought to take control of possession and push Rosenborg back towards their own penalty area, although the Norwegian side were not lacking competitive rhythm because their domestic league was in the middle of its season. Patrick Dorgu created the first major threat, with his low shot in the 28th minute striking the post. Just three minutes later, Shea Lacey gave the visitors the lead with a precise finish following a move in which Zirkzee played an important role. The young attacker calmly exploited the space and demonstrated why the club considers him one of the most exciting players of the new generation. United could soon have doubled their advantage, but Leny Yoro's header from a set piece hit the crossbar, meaning the teams went into the break with the score at a narrow 1-0.
The most impressive moment of the match came in the 56th minute. In a move that began with a combination involving Harry Amass, Zirkzee used a series of feints to beat two defenders, then deceived the goalkeeper in a similar fashion before finishing into an empty net. Sky Sports described the move as the central moment of his excellent 60-minute performance, during which he also registered an assist for Lacey in addition to his goal. During the match, the Dutch striker frequently moved away from the traditional position of the most advanced player, received the ball between the lines and connected the wingers with the midfield. Such a role suits his technical qualities, although only matches against stronger opponents will show whether he can maintain a similar influence at a higher tempo. In Trondheim, however, he got exactly what he needed at the start of pre-season: a goal, an assist and a visible rise in confidence.
Changes did not halt United's rhythm
Carrick made a large number of substitutions after approximately an hour, but United's play did not lose its structure. On the contrary, the fresh players increased the intensity of the pressing and continued to attack the space behind Rosenborg's defence. Jacob Devaney made it 3-0 in the 63rd minute, only moments after coming onto the pitch, capitalising on hesitation in the home defence following a corner. Norwegian media noted that there may have been a handball at the beginning of the move, but in a friendly match without intervention from the video system, the goal was awarded. For Devaney, it was a moment that will carry special value regardless of the pre-season nature of the match, because he scored in the first-team shirt in front of a large crowd.
Right-back Jaydan Kamason particularly stood out during the final 20 minutes. His two runs and two precise low passes from a wide position created the openings for the fourth and fifth goals. Harry Amass scored in the 72nd minute after making a well-timed run into the penalty area, rewarding his own attacking activity in addition to a solid defensive performance. Ethan Williams completed the evening in the 84th minute, also following a Kamason run and a cut-back. Four scorers from the academy system - Lacey, Devaney, Amass and Williams - therefore turned the match into a powerful confirmation of the depth of United's development structure.
Although a pre-season match cannot provide a definitive answer about who is ready for a regular role in the Premier League, the manner in which the young players entered the match was an important signal to Carrick. They did not merely try to preserve the result built by their more experienced teammates, but continued to play forward and search for additional goals. That is precisely the kind of response coaches want to see during the summer, when the hierarchy within the squad temporarily opens up and several good performances can alter plans concerning loans, sales or promotion to the first team. The young players' ability to quickly identify free space and finish moves without unnecessary complication was particularly important. Carrick's praise was therefore not merely a courteous statement following a heavy victory, but also a message that the doors of the first team will open to those who demonstrate discipline, intensity and quality in the final third of the pitch.
Carrick pleased with the progress, but pre-season is only entering a more serious phase
Manchester United arrived in Trondheim following a defeat to Wrexham six days earlier in the opening match of their summer programme. That result alone did not cause serious concern because numerous players had only just begun working, while some internationals had still not entered the full training process after their international commitments. Nevertheless, Carrick needed to see a visible step forward against Rosenborg in the speed of the ball circulation, the quality of the pressing and the number of entries into the opposition penalty area. That was exactly what he received: United created chances through positional attacks, while at the same time retaining their threat in transition. According to Sky Sports' analysis, the team appeared more secure during longer attacking sequences than in previous periods, although it is clear that the level of resistance in a friendly match differs from what awaits the club in the English league.
Carrick was confirmed as the permanent head coach in May 2026 after taking charge of the team in January until the end of the previous season. These preparations are therefore his first full summer cycle in which he can shape the playing style, the distribution of roles and the criteria for entering the starting line-up in greater detail. The victory in Norway showed that United will not completely abandon the quick transitions that were important during the second half of last season, but also that the coaching staff want greater control through possession. Zirkzee's movement between the lines, the high positions of the full-backs and the midfielders' involvement in the finishing phase were elements of that approach. Everything looked fluid against Rosenborg, but the real test will arrive when opponents are more aggressive in their pressing and better at defending space.
After the match, the coach stressed that some players need more minutes, while the workload of others must be managed more carefully. Such an approach is especially important in the summer of 2026, following a congested international calendar and the World Cup, because clubs have to plan the return of their internationals differently. United began in Trondheim with a combination of established first-team players and younger footballers, including Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw, Mason Mount, Bryan Mbeumo, Andrey Santos, Leny Yoro, Ayden Heaven, Dorgu, Lacey and Zirkzee. Carrick changed almost the entire line-up during the second half, but retained enough tactical balance to prevent the team from losing control. That stability following numerous substitutions was one of the most valuable parts of the evening.
A clean sheet as important as the five goals
The 5-0 result naturally directs attention towards the goalscorers, but Carrick placed equal emphasis on the defensive side of the performance. United controlled the distances between the lines well for most of the match and rarely allowed Rosenborg clear opportunities in front of goal. Radek Vítek started the match and was replaced by Dermot Mee in the closing stages, with both goalkeepers contributing to the clean sheet. The back four changed during the match, but the team maintained its concentration even after the score had become emphatic. For Carrick, this was a sign that the players did not regard the match merely as an exhibition obligation, but as part of a process in which standards must be maintained regardless of the score.
The clean sheet is also important because of the competition within the squad. Pre-season is a period in which a goalkeeper, defenders and a defensive midfielder can leave a strong impression even without spectacular actions, through correct positioning, communication and composure when playing the ball out. Against Rosenborg, United completed most of their work through organisation before the home side could enter a dangerous area. When they lost the ball, the reaction of the nearest players was quicker than against Wrexham, meaning the Norwegian team were unable to develop a larger number of counter-attacks. Such details will not earn a headline like Zirkzee's goal, but they will have a major influence on Carrick's decisions ahead of the competitive matches.
Rosenborg received a demanding but useful test
For Rosenborg, the match against one of the world's most famous clubs was both a sporting test and a major event for Trondheim. Before the match, the Norwegian club recalled that the same teams had also met at Lerkendal in July 2024, when Rosenborg won 1-0 through Noah Holm's stoppage-time goal in front of more than 20,000 spectators. Two years later, the balance of power on the pitch was completely different, particularly after the break and the large number of changes. Rosenborg coach Freyr Alexandersson told VG that the first half was more evenly balanced and useful for his team, while the second half was considerably more difficult. He added that his side nevertheless drew many lessons from the match, which is the principal sporting value of such international friendlies.
Rosenborg are in the middle of their domestic season, so the coaching staff had to balance the prestigious match with their obligations in the Eliteserien. That partly explains the large number of substitutions and the drop in intensity during the second half, although it does not diminish the quality of United's finishing moves. The home side were occasionally able to close the central channels during the first 45 minutes, but experienced increasing difficulties when the visitors accelerated the play down the flanks. After the third goal, the distance between the lines became too great, and Kamason, Amass and Williams exploited the space on the right and left sides. More important to Rosenborg than the result itself will be how they transfer the experience gained against a technically and physically stronger opponent into the remainder of the league campaign.
The academy once again at the centre of attention
For decades, Manchester United have built their identity around integrating their own young players, but tradition alone does not guarantee a place in the senior team. Every generation must prove that it can respond to the demands of modern football, particularly at a club where competition is strong and the pressure for results is constant. The performance in Trondheim was therefore important because the young players demonstrated more than individual talent: they operated as an organised group that understood Carrick's requirements. Lacey combined creativity with finishing, Devaney reacted quickly in the penalty area, Amass attacked the second zone at the right moment, Williams calmly finished the move, and Kamason twice found a teammate with a precise pass. Their performances do not automatically mean that all of them will remain with the first team, but they give the coach more options before the final squad decisions.
Special attention was also attracted by 15-year-old JJ Gabriel, who was part of the travelling squad but did not enter the match. His presence on the bench shows how highly the club rates him, but the decision not to introduce him simultaneously confirms the need for patience. The development of very young footballers cannot be based solely on media interest or supporters' expectations, but on an assessment of physical readiness, tactical maturity and a long-term plan. Before the match, Carrick suggested that Gabriel could receive an opportunity during pre-season, but against Rosenborg preference was given to players who are currently closer to senior football. Such gradual integration can be just as important a part of development as the debut itself.
The next tests bring a considerably tougher examination
United's next pre-season opponent will be Atlético Madrid on 1 August at Strawberry Arena in Solna, after which further international tests will follow before the start of the Premier League. The official English league schedule states that Carrick's side will open the new season away to Hull City on 22 August. By then, the coach must improve the physical condition of the key players, integrate the internationals who return later and decide which academy footballers will remain with the first team. The match against Rosenborg will not determine any of those decisions by itself, but several players took advantage of the opportunity to make their case. During pre-season, the result is secondary only until it becomes an indicator of the quality of the performance, and United's 5-0 victory in Trondheim was exactly that: a convincing result supported by attacking variety, youthful energy and the first clean sheet of the summer.
Carrick can therefore be satisfied, but not completely relaxed. His team will now face opponents who will punish mistakes in the build-up more effectively and provide considerably less space for combinations around the penalty area. Zirkzee will have to confirm that he can repeat his quality against stronger pressure, while Lacey, Devaney, Amass, Williams and Kamason will attempt to show that their performances in Norway were not isolated flashes. The most important thing for United is that the competition has expanded and that the young players are no longer merely there to make up the numbers in training. Five goals against Rosenborg will not be the measure of the season's success, but they gave Carrick what he was looking for at this stage of the summer: progress, confidence, healthy competition and clear signs that the academy can help the first team.
Sources:
- Manchester United - official report, reactions and match highlights against Rosenborg (link)
- Manchester United - Carrick's statements following the 5-0 victory in Trondheim (link)
- Manchester United - official profile and confirmation of Carrick's status as head coach (link)
- Sky Sports - analysis of the key moments, goalscorers and the role of the young players (link)
- VG - report from Trondheim and statements from Michael Carrick and Freyr Alexandersson (link)
- Rosenborg BK - official context of the match and reminder of the 2024 fixture (link)
- Premier League - official Manchester United schedule for the 2026/27 season (link)