Manchester United began their season with a disappointing 2-0 loss to newly promoted Hull City, a result that drew criticism regarding the team's performance and physical readiness.
Captain Bruno Fernandes acknowledged that the Red Devils made familiar errors, stating, "Same mistakes as we did last season every away game." He pointed to a lack of aggression and excessive ball possession given to opponents as key issues. "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," Fernandes said. He also highlighted concerns with defending set-pieces, which led to Hull's goals. "We knew before the game that [set-pieces] would be a big part of their game," he added.
Manaager Sergej Jakirovic's tactical switch to a back five for Hull City reportedly exploited gaps behind Manchester United's full-backs, contributing to Fernandes' frustration. "They played a full pre-season with a back four. They went against us with a back five, also to have some height, also for these moments [at set-pieces] because they could get a chance from it and defend well from our set-pieces," Fernandes explained. "The most frustrating thing is that we lost the game."
Former England captain Alan Shearer expressed doubt about Manchester United's fitness levels during the match. "I haven't seen Manchester United in pre-season. I saw them in this game and they didn't look fit, they didn't look ready to play 90 minutes of intense, high pressure, high energy football," Shearer commented on BBC Radio 5 Live. "There was only one team that looked fit there and it wasn't Manchester United."
Hull City captain Lewie Coyle expressed pride in his team's performance and their ambition to remain in the top division. "Before we went to bed last night we couldn’t have dreamt it any better," Coyle said. "It'll be a shock to people... but this team’s got something special in terms of character, resilience, and we know what we’re doing. We know we’re going to get chances on the break. You’re against a fantastic side and we know that’s the minimum it’s going to take. So, so proud of the boys for what we achieved last year. We’re not just here to make the numbers up - we’re here to stay in this division. What an incredible start for the boys."
Manaager Erik ten Hag was without Amad, Mason Mount, and Matthijs de Ligt for the opening fixture. The team fielded a new midfield pairing of Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans.