Manchester United were not aggressive enough on the ball and lacked a spark in attack in their 2-0 defeat at newly promoted Hull City, according to captain Bruno Fernandes and manager Michael Carrick.
United dominated possession but struggled to turn it into clear chances and conceded twice from set pieces in the first half.
Fernandes said these were the same problems that affected United in away matches last term.
“Same mistakes as we did last season, every away game we give too much of the ball to them,” Fernandes said. “In the first 20 minutes, the goalkeeper was the one with the most touches.
“We needed to press more, be more aggressive, and then again we need to work on set-plays and not concede these type of goals. Against these types of teams, they are waiting for that moment.”
The defeat was a difficult start to Carrick’s permanent appointment after United finished third last season. The manager accepted that his side had made life harder for themselves by falling behind but rejected the idea that the result defines them.
“Some of it was okay, there’s bits to improve on,” Carrick said. “It was never going to be perfect, but going behind and giving ourselves a lot to do makes it more difficult,” Carrick said.
“After that, we had moments and opportunities but we didn’t have the spark to put the chances away or create any more.”
He added: “Today’s a game we can’t ignore, we have a lot to learn from it – but we will. It’s one game, the first game of the season. It hurts, of course, but it’s one game. It doesn’t change the direction the team or the football club is going in.”
United had expected Hull’s style of play. Fernandes said his side knew set pieces would be central to the hosts’ game, and he was particularly frustrated that they failed to deal with a threat they had discussed before kick-off.
“We knew before the game set-pieces would be a big part of their game,” Fernandes said. “They played all pre-season with a back four but had a five against us for some height, for these moments. The most frustrating thing is that we lost the game.
“We know in the Premier League these types of grounds are very difficult to play in. You need to match everything in intensity, aggression and everything. We had that apart from two set pieces. That cost us the game.”
