Wayne Rooney has criticised Luke Shaw's defending as 'schoolboy' after Manchester United lost 2-0 to Hull City at the MKM Stadium on Saturday. First-half goals from Semi Ajayi and Nobel Mendy earned the newly-promoted side all three points on the opening day of the Premier League season.
Rooney's analysis of the goals
United were strong favourites but fell behind in the 17th minute. Hull started with intent, forcing Senne Lammens into a series of early saves, including keeping out a header from Oli McBurnie at the far post. From the resulting corner, Ajayi reacted quickest to smash in the rebound. Hull doubled their advantage shortly afterwards from a free-kick, with Regan Slater delivering a pinpoint ball for Mendy, whose header effectively killed the contest.
Rooney was particularly unhappy with Shaw's positioning for the second goal, criticising him for dropping too deep and playing Hull's entire forward line onside. Speaking on BBC's Match of the Day, the former United captain said: "[Ayden] Heaven is with [Oli] McBurnie, Ajayi is with [Bryan] Mbeumo. Heaven loses his player, it's a really good save by Lammens and there's no reaction [from Mbeumo] and they go 1-0 down - it's a very difficult game from there. This really sums it up for me from Hull's perspective."
"They get the ball out wide and then [Patrick] Dorgu and Shaw, you've got a decision who goes [to press the ball]. [Youri] Tielemans is covering the runner, I think Shaw should go and press the ball, but he doesn't. He allows Dorgu to go and try to press the ball, he doesn't get close enough."
Rooney's verdict on Shaw
Rooney added: "Now [Mohamed] Belloumi comes and gets on the ball, Tielemans - who's probably fed up, he's seen the ball going from side to side, get headed out, not pick up second balls - gives away a free-kick, which leads to the second goal. And this is schoolboy defending from Shaw."
"Man United have a good line, and Hull have been waiting for this all day. Shaw drops in, he's five yards behind his back line, and if this ball is good enough - which it was - it's impossible to stop. So Hull had a game plan: get the ball in the box and pick up second balls, and Man United found it really difficult."
Carrick's reaction
United head coach Michael Carrick showed his disappointment but insisted his side did 'a lot of good things' during their outing at Hull. "You know, we came here to win as we do in any game so to not take anything away is hugely disappointing," he said after the game.
"We haven't lost many games in six, seven months. So again, I get it, we've lost today, and I understand there are questions to be asked, but it doesn't mean everything's wrong because we've lost a game. We've done a lot of good things and we did some good things today, but it gets lost, and I understand it'll get lost, but it doesn't get lost from our point of view."
"So yeah, there's definitely issues playing against different systems, you know. So we've got to find the answers for that, but it's just because we lost one game doesn't mean that everything needs to be dissected and it's wrong from our point of view. I understand from others, it happens, and that's how it is."
