Manchester United’s pre-season optimism took a bruising reality check on opening weekend, falling 2-0 to newly promoted Hull City. The defeat zapped the club’s momentum and marked a historic low, with the Red Devils losing to a promoted team on the opening day for the first time in their history. 

While the visitors racked up 21 total attempts, with Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo, and Bruno Fernandes all forcing saves, clear-cut openings were at a premium, as Michael Carrick reflected post-match.

“I thought we had moments and then two set plays caught us today.”

“That decided the game in the end. We’ve conceded two goals today from set plays. We’ll look at it and improve it for sure.”

Marcus Rashford was introduced at half-time for his first appearance for his boyhood club since December 2024, following his loan spell at Barcelona. While he showed occasional flashes, Carrick admitted the team leaned too heavily on the returning forward.

Captain Bruno Fernandes echoed his manager’s frustrations, pointing directly to the physical battle and defensive lapses that cost them the match while acknowledging the supporters’ anxieties.

“We know in the Premier League these types of away grounds are difficult to play against,” Fernandes told TNT Sports. “You need to match their intensity and aggression. The two set pieces ended up costing us the game today.”

Addressing the travelling support’s visible frustration, the skipper issued a defiant rallying cry.

“We understand the frustration. Every season, at the start, we want to compete and win every game, but we need the fans on our side and to believe in ourselves.”

For Carrick, the immediate challenge is figuring out if this defeat was just a one-off fluke or a sign of deeper problems.

“It’s constant, it’s evolving all the time,” Carrick insisted. “Just because we haven’t got any points today, it won’t change what we do next week. We look forward and be excited with the season that is still ahead of us.”