Former England captain Alan Shearer has sharply criticized Manchester United's opening day performance, describing their display against Hull City as "dreadful" and questioning the team's fitness levels.
Manchester United succumbed to a 2-0 defeat against newly-promoted Hull City, with goals from Semi Ajayi and Nobel Mendy securing the victory for the home side. Shearer, speaking on the BBC's flagship football program, stated that the team offered "nothing" particularly in attack and struggled to execute any discernible strategy.
"At times I struggled to work out what they were trying to do," Shearer commented. "There is so much to work on, so much to improve. I know it was the first game of the season, but there was without a doubt a lack of energy, they just didn't look fit, Manchester United."
He observed a clear difference in energy and intensity from the outset, noting that Hull City appeared to be the dominant force throughout the match. Shearer emphasized the expectation for United to at least match the intensity of a newly promoted side away from home, a standard he felt they failed to meet.
The defeat marked Michael Carrick's first match in charge since being appointed as permanent head coach, following a successful interim period. Despite the concerning result, Carrick urged against panic, referencing the team's strong record over the previous six to seven months.
"We haven't lost many games in six, seven months," Carrick stated. "So again, I get it, we've lost today and I understand there's questions to be asked, but it doesn't mean everything's wrong because we've lost a game. We've done a lot of good things and we did some good things today, but it gets lost, and I understand it'll get lost, but it doesn't get lost from our point of view."
Carrick acknowledged the need to address tactical issues, particularly against different systems, but maintained that a single loss should not lead to wholesale dissection of the team's efforts. He admitted that while he presents a calm exterior, he and the players were hurting from the performance and recognized the need for improvement.
"I'm talking to you quite calm, but I'm not exactly calm inside and enjoying the day, you know?" Carrick said. "So there's a big difference. It just doesn't mean that we all have to shout and scream and come out and create some chaos just because of it. Inside we're hurting. The boys know we need to get better, but the calmness doesn't mean that there's no emotion in it, for sure."