Former Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes has voiced strong criticism of captain Bruno Fernandes' post-match remarks following the team's opening-day defeat to Hull City. Scholes suggested Fernandes should have remained silent, particularly given his own performance in the match.
Fernandes stated after the 2-0 loss at the MKM Stadium that the team repeated the same mistakes from previous away games. "Every away game we give too much of the ball to them. In the first 20 minutes, the goalkeeper was the one with the most touches," Fernandes said. He added, "We needed to press more, be more aggressive, and then again we need to work on set plays and not concede these types of goals. Against these types of teams, they are waiting for that moment."
Scholes, speaking on the podcast The Good, The Bad & The Football, questioned the nature of these mistakes and Fernandes' decision to address them publicly. "Especially when you perform the way he did as well, I think it's probably to keep your mouth shut," Scholes commented, alluding to Fernandes' own performance.
Fernandes' comments were echoed by teammate Luke Shaw, who suggested the team was underprepared for the match, particularly regarding Hull's set-piece strengths. Scholes and former United forward Dion Dublin suggested such statements could undermine manager Michael Carrick. "That's a slight on your staff. That's a slight on your manager," Scholes stated, referencing Shaw's remarks. Dublin emphasized the importance of silence from players after a poor performance, unless the captain is speaking carefully to avoid opening "a can of worms."
Carrick, who recently transitioned from an interim to a permanent managerial role, faces the challenge of balancing his past relationships with players and asserting his authority. "The friend or colleague issue that he had as an interim, the hardest thing now is that he is permanent. He is going to have to sever those connections now," Dublin noted, adding that Carrick would need to shift from a friendly demeanor to a more authoritative manager role.
Scholes also addressed an unusual moment during Hull's first goal from a corner, where defender Harry Maguire appeared to be holding onto teammate Noussair Mazraoui instead of marking an opponent. "The only thing I can think is that he's lost his bearings. He's looking at the ball, he can feel somebody in front of him, and he's just gone like that (hugging motion)," Scholes said. 