Manchester United manager Michael Carrick insisted his side will find answers after being blown away in a 2-0 Premier League defeat against newly-promoted Hull City.
The hosts comfortably outplayed a passive United team, with first-half goals from Semi Ajayi and Nobel Mendy securing a deserved three points for the East Yorkshire club. Both goals emanated from set-pieces as Hull bullied their opponents throughout the contest.
Hull entered the match having been widely tipped for an immediate return to the Championship following their promotion through the play-off final at Wembley Stadium. Manager Sergej Jakirovic named eight players in his starting line-up who had featured in that Wembley victory.
Carrick rejects panic after set-piece setback
Asked after the final whistle whether Hull had exposed a fundamental flaw in his tactical system, Carrick gave a firm response and refused to hit the panic button despite the loss.
"We haven't lost many games in six, seven months," Carrick said. "So again, I get it, we've lost today and I understand there's questions to be asked, but it doesn't mean everything's wrong because we've lost a game."
The former Manchester United midfielder acknowledged that improvements are required when facing specific opposition setups.
"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," Carrick explained.
"There's definitely issues playing against different systems, so we have got to find the answers for that. But just because we lose one game it doesn't mean that everything needs to be dissected and it's wrong from our point of view."
Internal frustration behind a calm exterior
Carrick is rarely ruffled regardless of the result, but his tranquil composure masked genuine disappointment at watching his side get totally outplayed on the pitch.
"I'm talking to you quite calm, but I'm not exactly calm inside and enjoying the day, you know?" Carrick admitted. "So there's a big difference. I played here for a long time. You don't get to play here for a long time without just going day by day, the results, the ups and downs, but you just carry on as normal. It's 100% not that; trust me, it's not that."
"It just doesn't mean that we all have to shout and scream and come out and create some chaos just because of it. Inside we're hurting. The boys know we need to get better, but the calmness doesn't mean that there's no emotion in it, for sure."
Jakirovic eyes transfer boost after statement victory
For Hull boss Jakirovic, the commanding home display offered further proof that his side can compete at the highest level despite pre-season predictions of failure.
The Bosnian coach expressed delight at continuing to prove critics wrong and believes the impressive victory will help convince potential transfer targets to join the club before the transfer window closes on September 1.
