Manchester United cancel lucrative fixture plans

Manchester United are about to hit a really important stretch in the Premier League.

Michael Carrick’s in charge for now, and the team’s already racked up four wins in a row, so there’s a real sense of momentum.

After they play West Ham tonight, United get a 13-day break before facing Everton.

That kind of gap almost never happens in their schedule.

At one point, people at the club talked about using that break for a warm-weather trip to the Middle East for a mid-season friendly, which would have brought in some extra cash.

Back in October, their former manager Ruben Amorim was all for it.

He said, “We have to do it,” mostly because missing out on the Champions League put a dent in their finances.

He pointed out that the club’s got a lot to balance, keeping fans happy, managing the budget, making up for lost revenue.

But now, initial plans for a mid-season friendly in the Middle East has been shelved, as reported by The Tmes.

The Kuwait Football Association even said they’d been asked to set up a friendly for February 12, although United never confirmed anything.

KFA’s president, Ahmad Al-Yousef, basically said he couldn’t pull off an event for United’s arrival in just 17 or 18 days.

They looked at another possible window after the next international break, but with only seven league games left before the FA Cup quarter-finals, flying the squad out somewhere in the middle of such a tight run just didn’t add up.

Carrick ended up scrapping the idea of a training camp after the West Ham match, too.

He wants the players focused on recovery and prepping at home.

So for now, United are keeping their eyes on the league.

European qualification and keeping up the strong run under Carrick matter more than any off-field plans.