Man Utd 'didn't look ready' - but hurting Carrick remains calm

Manchester United's opening match saw them defeated by Hull City, a result compounded by travel woes for their supporters. As fans waited for trains back to Manchester, the home stadium announcer delivered news of cancellations, drawing jeers from Hull supporters who celebrated their team's first top-flight win over United since 1974.

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They didn't create much, which was the biggest worry.

Former United striker Wayne Rooney expressed concern over the team's lack of attacking threat. "They didn't create much, which was the biggest worry," Rooney told BBC Sport. Alan Shearer, speaking on BBC Radio Five Live, suggested a fitness issue, stating, "they didn't look fit, they didn't look ready to play 90 minutes of intense, high pressure, high-energy football."

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they didn't look fit, they didn't look ready to play 90 minutes of intense, high pressure, high-energy football.

However, manager Carrick, who has overseen United's pre-season, disagreed with the fitness assessment. Despite these external opinions, captain Bruno Fernandes acknowledged recurring issues. "Same mistakes as we did last season in every away game," Fernandes told TNT, pointing to excessive ball possession given to opponents and a lack of pressing intensity. He also highlighted the need to improve defending set-pieces.

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Same mistakes as we did last season in every away game.

Carrick, portraying a calm demeanor amidst the criticism, acknowledged the disappointment but downplayed the significance of a single game. "It's just one game, we're disappointed we haven't won," he stated. "It's not more than that, it's not less than that. We've got to soak it up and come back strong."

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It's just one game, we're disappointed we haven't won. It's not more than that, it's not less than that. We've got to soak it up and come back strong.