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Manchester United have made a big call as they prepare to enter the decisive phase of the season.
Ultimate goal
United are firmly within the frame to achieve their primary objective of the campaign – securing Champions League football, having missed out on Europe altogether after a disastrous 2023/24.
Though there was some improvement from last term, United remained wildly inconsistent under Ruben Amorim, who struggled to embed his controversial 3-4-3 system.
It was not until Amorim’s dismissal and Michael Carrick’s installation as his temporary replacement that the Red Devils really took off. Carrick has won seven, drawn two and lost just one of the 10 Premier League games he has taken charge of as caretaker boss.
At present, United sit in third place in the top-flight standings, one point above Aston Villa and six adrift of Manchester City in second.
Carrick has quickly implemented a consistent and attractive style of play that was sorely missing under Amorim. With their top-four rivals struggling for form, United are on course to return to the continent’s most prestigious competition. With seven games left to play, Andy Mitten of The Athletic has revealed that United have made the decision to head to Ireland for a training camp next month.
United decision
Mitten writes, “Manchester United will go to the Republic of Ireland for a four-day training camp at the start of April.”
“The club will use it as an opportunity for an intense period of training away from their Carrington base from April 6 to April 9 to prepare for the Premier League run-in. United will be based around 30 minutes outside the capital, Dublin.”
Due to the absence of European football and their elimination from the Carabao Cup at the first time of asking, United explored the option of mid-season friendlies in the Middle East.
However, this line of thinking was eventually ditched.
As Mitten observes in his article, this will not be United’s first training camp in Ireland. The club also made the trip in 1963 to get away from freezing conditions in England.
Carrick and his players return to competitive action on 13 April when they welcome arch-rivals Leeds United to Old Trafford.
Feature image Lewis Storey via Getty Images
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