Hull City 2-0 Man United Match Report & Player Ratings

Manchester United fall to 2-0 defeat against Hull City in Premier League opener

Manchester United began their new Premier League campaign with a disappointing 2-0 defeat away to Hull City, as Michael Carrick’s side struggled to find any real attacking urgency throughout the game.

For United supporters, there was a frustrating familiarity about the performance, with many of the problems seen under previous managers appearing again despite the changes made to the squad.

United saw plenty of the ball but struggled to turn possession into meaningful opportunities, while Hull were able to frustrate Carrick’s side and ultimately begin their campaign with all three points.

Carrick’s team selection raises questions

There will inevitably be questions surrounding some of Carrick’s decisions, particularly the decision to use Bruno Fernandes in a deeper midfield position and leave both Benjamin Sesko and Marcus Rashford out of the starting eleven.

Patrick Dorgu was used further forward, but United struggled to create enough from that area during the first half and Rashford appeared to provide more of a spark after being introduced from the bench.

The returning forward could still have done more himself, but there appeared to be slightly more urgency in United’s attack following his introduction, even if the players around him were unable to take advantage of it.

Bryan Mbeumo also endured a difficult afternoon, with the forward getting himself into some promising situations but ultimately proving wasteful with the ball, while Matheus Cunha struggled when asked to operate through the middle.

Carrick’s decisions will therefore come under scrutiny after the defeat, although United’s problems cannot simply be placed on another manager after similar issues have continued across several different managerial spells.

Hull frustrate United’s attacking options

John Egan produced an impressive performance at the heart of Hull’s defence and played an important role in keeping United’s attacking players quiet.

Cunha looked uncomfortable operating as the central striker and struggled to make an impact, while Sesko was eventually introduced from the bench but was not given a huge amount of time to influence proceedings.

There have been fitness questions surrounding Sesko after he missed much of pre-season, which could explain Carrick’s decision not to start him, but the striker still offered a different presence when he entered the game.

With Sesko naturally suited to playing through the middle, Carrick will now have a decision to make over whether he is ready to start United’s next fixture or whether his fitness still needs to be managed.

United will also need more from their midfield after a difficult afternoon for both Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos, while Fernandes was unable to have his usual influence from the deeper position he occupied.

Familiar problems return for United

Perhaps the biggest concern for United is that despite new players arriving and another change in management, many of the problems from previous seasons were visible again.

Carrick was able to build momentum after taking charge last season, but managing United across an entire campaign will present a completely different challenge, particularly with Champions League football also returning and the fixture schedule becoming considerably more demanding.

That does not mean one defeat should lead to major conclusions about Carrick’s ability to manage the side, especially on the opening weekend, but the performance against Hull has certainly given him plenty to address.

United now need to respond quickly because after a summer of changes and optimism surrounding a new season, a 2-0 defeat against Hull is far from the start Carrick would have wanted.

Manchester United player ratings

Senne Lammens – 6.5

Noussair Mazraoui – 4

Harry Maguire – 4

Luke Shaw – 4

Ayden Heaven – 4

Andrey Santos – 3

Youri Tielemans – 3

Bruno Fernandes – 3

Patrick Dorgu – 2.5

Matheus Cunha – 2

Bryan Mbeumo – 3

Substitutes: Diogo Dalot – 3, Marcus Rashford – 6.5, Benjamin Sesko – 5, Shea Lacey – 5, Kobbie Mainoo – 5.