Wayne Rooney has described Bruno Fernandes' assessment of Manchester United's surprise defeat to Hull City as "strange". The Red Devils were beaten by a newly-promoted side in their opening fixture of a new campaign for the first time in their history on Saturday.
United were miles off it in a 2-0 loss at the MKM Stadium as first-half strikes from Semi Ajayi and Nobel Mendy handed Michael Carrick's team a humiliating defeat. It continues to be a strange summer for United, with some praise for their movements in the transfer window, while others have argued that not enough signings have arrived at Old Trafford.
Carrick's Positive Work Under Threat
Carrick will be anxious that the defeat to Hull will now undermine much of the positive work he has implemented since replacing Ruben Amorim as head coach in January. The former United midfielder steered his old club back into the Champions League with a third-placed finish last term.
However, United skipper Fernandes pulled no punches in his evaluation of the defeat to the Tigers when speaking to TNT Sports after the match. He said: "Same mistakes as we did last season, every away game we give too much of the ball to them. 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.
"We knew before the game that set-pieces would be a big part of their game. They played all pre-season with a back four, but went to a back five against us for some height in these moments. The most frustrating thing is that we lost the game."
Rooney's Verdict on United's Approach
United legend Rooney passed judgement on Fernandes' remarks during his appearance on Match of the Day, describing the midfielder's comments as "strange". Rooney said: "It's a strange quote from Bruno, I think. For Manchester United to build on what they did last season, since Michael went in they obviously finished third in the Premier League, got Champions League football.
"To build on that they have to become a team now who you're scared of playing against, who go and win the ball back.
"I thought they sat in a mid-block and didn't get any real pressure on the ball. I think they won two balls in the final third, so they need to be more than that.
"More energy in the press, how they go and win the ball back. Today it was all too passive, for me."
Hull's Dominance in Both Boxes
Rooney was scathing of United's overall approach, implying that his former club had arrived woefully underprepared for the fixture in East Yorkshire. He added: "There was a lack of intensity and closing down. They couldn't really get close to Hull, and they really suffered from crosses into the box and couldn't deal with them well enough. They didn't really create much, which was the biggest worry.
"When you play a promoted team, it's always difficult. First game of the season away from home, and I think United just didn't seem ready for it.
"Hull were fantastic. The manager was spot on when he talked about preparation. I watched Manchester United against AC Milan and they struggled stopping crosses into the box.
"Hull looked like they played on that; they got the ball out wide, put good crosses in the box and caused United problems.
"They defended well in the second half. They looked powerful, they looked strong. United didn't look at the races, and Hull overpowered them in both boxes. That won them the game."
