Manchester United manager Michael Carrick is maintaining a steady course despite his team's unexpected 2-0 defeat to newly promoted Hull City on the opening day of the season. The loss, which saw Hull secure their first top-flight win against United since 1974, has drawn criticism from former players regarding the team's preparedness and performance.
Legendary former United striker Wayne Rooney noted that the team "didn't create much," which he identified as the primary concern. "When you play a promoted team, it's always difficult. First game of the season away from home, United just didn't seem ready for it," Rooney told BBC Sport.
Former Newcastle striker Alan Shearer suggested a fitness issue, stating on BBC Radio Five Live, "They didn't look fit, they didn't look ready to play 90 minutes of intense, high pressure, high-energy football." However, the report indicates that the squad's fitness had not been questioned prior to this match, with many players returning to training on July 9 and having played six pre-season games.
Captain Bruno Fernandes pointed to recurring issues from the previous season, particularly in away games. "Same mistakes as we did last season in every away game," Fernandes said to TNT. "We give too much of the ball to them. In the first 20 minutes the goalkeeper had more touches on the ball, too much time. We need to press a little bit more, be more aggressive, and set-plays - we need to work on it, to be more aggressive and try not to concede these types of goals."
Hull City manager Sergej Jakirovic had identified set-pieces as an area to attack, and the team successfully capitalized on this strategy. The atmosphere at the MKM Stadium was notably buoyant, with home fans enjoying the historic victory and even taunting traveling supporters about cancelled train services back to Manchester.
Despite the critical assessments and the disappointing start to the campaign, Carrick remains resolute. He has stated that the team will not deviate from their planned approach following the defeat. The team's inability to create significant chances and their defensive vulnerabilities, particularly against teams employing wing-backs, were highlighted as areas for improvement by observers.