Man Utd hit the beach in Sunderland as £91m duo head to the exit | OneFootball

Six days after they secured a return to the Champions League, Manchester United highlighted all the work necessary this summer if they are not to waste the progress made under Michael Carrick.

First on the Red Devils’ to-do list is decide whether Carrick should be rewarded with the permanent manager’s job for dragging United up the table, almost certainly to a third-place finish. Regardless, though, of who leads United back into Europe, next season’s boss will need a much deeper squad, in terms of numbers and quality.

While taking United to Sunderland on Saturday afternoon, Carrick gave a few on the fringes a chance to highlight their credentials for being kept on. In their first 0-0 stalemate of the season, no-one furthered their cause.

United looked every bit a side made up of starters safe in the knowledge the job is done, and stand-ins too rusty to make a difference.

Under the microscope more than most were Joshua Zirkzee and Mason Mount, both coming in for their first Premier League starts of 2026.

Zirkzee was lucky to make it to 65 minutes. A striker is often only as good as the service he gets, and Zirkzee was certainly handicapped in that respect. But the Netherlands attacker failed to stretch the Sunderland defence and when the ball was fed up to him, he either struggled to keep it, or his passes were scratchy. The one sight of goal he had, he headed weakly over the crossbar.

Quite likely, he already knows that United are looking to shift him this summer, which makes his ineffectiveness all the more odd. He won’t get many shop windows to parade his wares.

Even if Benjamin Sesko’s shin problem keeps him out of the remaining clashes Nottingham Forest and Brighton, you would expect Carrick to play Matheus Cunha through the middle, as he did in the later stages at the Stadium of Light. Which is the only time United threatened. It took until after the 90th minute for them to muster a shot on target.

Bothering Robin Roef’s so little highlights how United miss Sesko. The Slovenia centre-forward has been one of the main beneficiaries of Carrick’s reign, scoring 10 goals in his last 15 appearances. Without him, though, United lack a focal point, even if his hold-up play still needs improvement.

With the increased workload next season – probably up a third on this term – United cannot afford to go in to it so light on centre-forwards. Even if it is not their priority this summer, another striker is a necessary purchase.

Of course, the midfield is the area in greatest need of remodelling, with Casemiro on his way.

The Brazilian wasn’t on Wearside. Why? Perhaps a knock which Carrick made no mention of pre-match, and the United boss said the midfielder would be ‘fine’ for the last two games.

Or maybe to kill the clause that reportedly exists in his contract that would trigger another year on his huge salary. Missing today means he can only get to 34 starts this season, with 35 the problematic number for United’s bean counters.

Regardless, Casemiro’s absence highlighted the hole he will leave. It won’t be filled next season by Manuel Ugarte; nor did the Uruguayan attempt to today, a knock in training handing Mount a chance to impress.

He did not. Mount has mitigation, though. Playing as one of the two deeper-lying midfielders, the ex-England star was patrolling an unfamiliar area. But he and Kobbie Mainoo were unbalanced and dominated by Noah Sadiki and Granit Xhaka, the pair proving to United that it is possible to recruit an elite midfield unit in a single summer.

Obviously, United need to find a Casemiro-type mate for Mainoo, not a replacement. But the Red Devils will need more depth in their engine room, making it necessary to source two midfielders.

Perhaps Zirkzee and Mount will be given more opportunities in the two games remaining, but there are others now ahead in the queue for run-outs with little really left to compete for.

Amad Diallo’s poor run of form continued and while there is no thought to replace the Ivorian, it would not hurt the winger to recognise the threat to his place posed by Shea Lacey.

Lacey was the most eye-catching aspect of Darren Fletcher’s brief spell in charge between Carrick and Ruben Amorim. The 19-year-old hasn’t seen any minutes under Carrick. United fans have to hope that changes in the next two games, if only to liven things up while the Red Devils coast into a huge summer.