'A missed opportunity!' - Wayne Rooney hits out at Michael Carrick over 'disappointing' Man Utd decision in Ipswich win

Manchester United bounced back from their shock 2-0 defeat against Hull City with an emphatic 5-2 triumph over Ipswich Town at Old Trafford. Things looked bleak early on when Leif Davis fired the newly-promoted visitors into a surprise lead, raising fears of another poor result.

However, a brilliant Bruno Fernandes hat-trick spearheaded a ruthless turnaround. An own goal from Jacob Greaves and a late Bryan Mbeumo strike completed the rout, rendering Chuba Akpom's stoppage-time finish a mere consolation.

With the match firmly in hand during the second half, Carrick opted to utilise his bench. The manager introduced senior squad members Benjamin Sesko, Andrey Santos, and Noussair Mazraoui, prioritising match fitness for established players over blooding academy talent.

Speaking to The United Stand, Rooney expressed his frustration that teenage winger Lacey was left on the bench. The former striker felt the comfortable scoreline created an ideal environment to test the youngster.

"What I would liked to have seen, which I’m a bit disappointed we didn’t see, was Shea Lacey come on when the game was done," Rooney said. "For young players when the game is over it’s an opportunity for them to go and get some minutes and go and show what they can do at that level."

Rooney drew parallels to Marcus Rashford's famous breakout under similar circumstances, noting how a brief cameo can launch a career.

"I would’ve liked to see Shea Lacey come on just to get a glimpse of what we’ve seen in pre-season," he added. "It’s little moments like that where you don’t get many times during the season where you’re able to do that. So that was a little bit of a missed opportunity."

Despite Rooney's critique, the overriding emotion for Carrick was relief following a difficult week. The head coach praised his squad's psychological resilience after falling behind early against Ipswich, especially following the bruising loss at Hull.

"We spoke before about trying to overcome last week, and then we took a mini setback if you like, going a goal behind," Carrick told the press. "But showing stubbornness, belief, confidence, and togetherness the boys showed at that stage... I think that was really pleasing for me."

The collective effort was anchored by Kobbie Mainoo, who commanded the midfield on his first start of the campaign. Carrick was quick to laud the returning international, noting that while Fernandes will steal the headlines, Mainoo was "immense" and essential to underpinning the entire performance.

Manchester United must now use this dominant display as a springboard when they travel to face Everton in their next Premier League outing. Following their trip to Merseyside, the Red Devils will make a highly anticipated return to the Champions League. Having been absent from Europe's premier club competition since the 2023-24 campaign, United will kick off their 2026-27 continental journey by welcoming Azerbaijani outfit Sabah FK to Old Trafford.