Manchester United
Carrick Keeps His Composure After Opening-Day Defeat to Hull City
Carrick stayed measured after United’s opening-day loss, but Hull exposed familiar faults.
Michael Carrick chose not to lash out publicly after Manchester United began the new Premier League season with a defeat to Hull City, even though the performance clearly left a mark. The early damage was done at MKM Stadium in East Yorkshire, where Hull scored once from a corner and again from a free kick to put United on the back foot in the first half.
There was a better response after the interval, helped by Marcus Rashford making his first competitive United appearance in more than 600 days. Even so, the result carried a historical edge that made it especially unwelcome: this was the first time United have ever been beaten by newly promoted opposition in a season opener, and not just in the Premier League era.
Carrick, though, was determined not to turn one poor afternoon into a wider crisis. He pointed to the strong preseason and the encouraging second half of 2025-26, insisting that the bigger picture still matters. “I’m talking to you quite calmly, but I’m not exactly calm inside and enjoying the day, so there’s a big difference,” Carrick told reporters before heading back west across England to Manchester.
He made clear there is no appetite for drastic reaction. “I played here for a long time. You don’t get to play here for a long time without just going day by day, the results, the ups and downs, but you just carry on as normal,” he said.
Carrick added: “It’s 100% not that, and trust me, it’s not that. 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 and we need to get better. But the calmness doesn’t mean there’s no emotion in it.
“We got beat, we’re hurt and it’s not a nice feeling. It doesn’t mean it’s going to change the whole direction of how we’re going as a team or as a football club. It’s one game and results can happen in football, we all understand that. It’s not nice when they do, but it does happen.”
In a separate postgame interview with TNT Sports, Fernandes said the same mistakes from “every away game” last season played a part. “We [gave] too much of the ball to them. In the first 20 minutes the [Hull] goalkeeper had more touches on the ball, too much time,” he said. “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
Rooney criticises Shaw as United’s problems are laid bare by Hull
Rooney condemned Shaw’s defending as Hull exposed United’s wider tactical weaknesses in a 2-0 loss.
Wayne Rooney delivered a sharp assessment of Manchester United’s defeat to Hull City, singling out Luke Shaw for what he called “schoolboy defending” while also pointing to deeper tactical issues behind the 2-0 loss.
Rooney focused on the second goal in the 38th minute, arguing that Shaw had played Mendy onside by dropping too deep too early while United were trying to defend a wide free kick. On Match of the Day, he said: “This is schoolboy defending from Luke Shaw,” United’s all-time top scorer seethed on Match of the Day. “Man Utd had a good line, Hull would have been waiting for this all day, Luke Shaw drops in, he’s five yards behind his backline and if the ball is good enough, which it was, it’s impossible to stop.
“Hull had a gameplan, they were getting balls into the penalty box, picking up second balls and Man Utd found it very difficult.”
That was only part of the issue. Rooney also noted that Hull’s use of wingbacks caused problems in open play, with a similar approach having already troubled United against Leeds United and AC Milan. He even pointed out the irony that Ruben Amorim spent 14 months trying, unsuccessfully, to get United to play that way themselves.
“I watched the AC Milan game last week and they [Hull] played the same system,” Rooney pointed out. “They played with wingbacks and Man Utd really struggled to deal with that. Maybe Hull have seen that game last week and changed it and I think fair play if that’s the case because they looked a really good team today.”
Hull boss Sergej Jakirović said the plan was designed to exploit the space left by Shaw: “Because Manchester United is coming very high with Luke Shaw.” He later added: “When we steal the ball, we are very vertical, very quick. In those transitions, we try to switch the side because our wingbacks are completely alone, and then get numbers in the box,” Jakirović bluntly explained. “We had two very good chances, and also we didn’t allow any one-to-one 100% chances from them.”
United now face Ipswich Town, with Gary O’Neil likely to study Hull’s blueprint closely as Carrick continues searching for solutions.
Aston Villa
Aston Villa make contact over Joshua Zirkzee as Manchester United consider options
Aston Villa have contacted Manchester United about Joshua Zirkzee, but any deal looks difficult to complete.
Joshua Zirkzee has become the subject of fresh transfer discussion in the closing stages of the summer window, with Aston Villa understood to have made contact with Manchester United over a possible move.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Villa have made a phone call to United to ask about Zirkzee’s availability and the terms of any potential agreement. A switch is not considered straightforward, but it remains a scenario that could still develop before the window closes.
Villa’s need for attacking depth is clear. They are preparing for their second Champions League campaign in three seasons and currently have limited cover at centre-forward. That situation could become more pressing if Al Hilal succeed in tempting unsettled Ollie Watkins to Saudi Arabia. Tammy Abraham is the only other senior No. 9, while Brian Madjo, who scored in the UEFA Super Cup, is highly rated but will not turn 18 until January.
Zirkzee is not Villa’s main target. That priority is said to be Chelsea’s Nicolas Jackson, who previously worked with Unai Emery at Villarreal. Jackson became available after Chelsea moved ahead with Emmanuel Emegha, although his fee and wider interest in him mean Villa have no guarantee of landing the Senegal international.
The Dutch forward is not viewed as a classic penalty-box striker. Despite his size, Zirkzee tends to play deeper and contribute to combination play and buildup, a profile closer to Harry Kane than Erling Haaland.
At present, a move to Aston Villa appears unlikely, because it depends on Jackson not arriving and United accepting suitable terms for Zirkzee within a short timeframe.
Romano also says that if Zirkzee does leave, it is worth keeping a “close eye” on United’s response, with a backup striker to Benjamin Šeško already a familiar idea.
Matheus Cunha and Marcus Rashford can both play up front, with the former selected ahead of Šeško in the opening-day defeat to Hull City, but United have been linked with a striker addition throughout the summer, even if it remains behind central midfield, goalkeeper and left back in their list of priorities.
Hull City
Rashford Gives United a Lift, but Hull Exposed Deeper Problems
Rashford impressed off the bench, but United’s set-piece issues and lack of fight cost them at Hull.
Manchester United opened the season with an outcome that stands out in the club’s modern history, and not for the right reasons. Saturday brought only their ninth defeat in 35 seasons of the contemporary era, but it also marked a first: they lost away to newly promoted opposition on the opening weekend for the first time in any competition.
The visitors improved after the break and, in that sense, there were reasons for a more measured reading of the performance. United had made clear progress last season and still carry hopes of challenging for the Premier League title by May 2028. Even so, Hull stayed organised and did enough to secure the result.
The decisive detail was clear enough. Both Hull goals came from set pieces, while their threat in open play was minimal. Their open-play xG was only 0.07, compared with 1.19 from set pieces. United, by contrast, generated 1.81 xG overall and 1.50 in open play, although they offered little of note from dead-ball situations themselves, finishing with 0.30 xG from set pieces.
That imbalance matters. Set pieces are likely to remain a major factor throughout the season, and any side carrying a weakness in that area starts at an immediate disadvantage, regardless of broader quality. United must tighten that aspect if the opening defeat is not to become a familiar pattern.
There was also a question of intensity. Hull looked the more committed side, and the numbers backed that up. They won 59% of all duels, including 60% on the ground and 58% in the air.
Marcus Rashford, meanwhile, offered a more encouraging note. A move is still possible, but it would now be a surprise if he is not a Manchester United player on the morning of Sept. 2. Having been given the No. 9 shirt worn by club figures including Sir Bobby Charlton, Andy Cole, Tommy Taylor, Jack Rowley and Brian McClair, he did not start after only one preseason appearance, against AC Milan, and a compressed build-up. Yet his second-half showing, after replacing Patrick Dorgu on the left, suggested he can contribute this season. He brought pace, created four chances and was the most creative player on the pitch.
United were better with Rashford than without him. Benjamin Šeško, who scored 11 Premier League goals last season, also arrived with promise but a disrupted summer after injury and a fitness complaint that carried over from May.
