Manchester United suffered a shock 2-0 opening day Premier League defeat against newly promoted Hull City after conceding two first-half goals from set pieces.
Captain Bruno Fernandes admitted after the final whistle that United made the same errors as last season and called on his team-mates to show greater aggression on the pitch.
United handed debuts to their new 85-million-pound midfield pairing of Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans, with almost all senior stars available for selection except for injured trio Amad, Mason Mount and Matthijs de Ligt.
Despite fielding a strong lineup at the MKM Stadium, United struggled to maintain possession or cope with Hull's physical approach during a difficult opening half.
Fernandes calls for defensive focus
Speaking after the match, Fernandes expressed frustration at United's passive performance and highlighted recurring defensive weaknesses away from home.
"Same mistakes as we did last season every away game," Fernandes bemoaned afterwards. "We give too much of the ball to them. In the first 20 minutes the goalkeeper had more touches on the ball... too much time."
The Portugal international midfielder stressed that United must urgently address their set-piece organization and improve their work rate when pressing opponents.
"We need to press a little bit more, be more aggressive, and set-plays, we need to work on it, to be more aggressive and try not to concede these types of goals," Fernandes said. "We knew before the game that set-pieces would be a big part of their game."
Tactical switch catches United out
Hull City head coach Sergej Jakirovic revealed that a tactical alteration was key to unlocking the visitors. Jakirovic switched to a five-man defense after identifying defensive gaps behind Manchester United's full-backs.
The strategic shift caught United off guard, allowing Hull to dominate aerial duels and exploit space on counter-attacks throughout the match.
Fernandes admitted the host's tactical adjustment created major problems for United's defensive structure and game plan.
"They played a full pre-season with a back four," Fernandes added. "They went against us with a back five, also to have some height, also for these moments because they could get a chance from it and defend well from our set-pieces. The most frustrating thing is that we lost the game."
Shearer questions United conditioning
BBC pundit Alan Shearer delivered a scathing assessment of Manchester United's physical condition, suggesting the 20-time English champions were far from ready for the intensity of the new campaign.
"I haven't seen Manchester United in pre-season," Shearer said on BBC Radio 5 Live. "I saw them in this game and they didn't look fit, they didn't look ready to play 90 minutes of intense, high pressure, high energy football."
The former Newcastle United and England striker, who remains the all-time leading goalscorer in Premier League history with 260 goals, added that Hull were comfortably the sharper side throughout the 90 minutes.
"There was only one team that looked fit there and it wasn't Manchester United," Shearer said.
Coyle hails dream return for Hull
Hull City captain Lewie Coyle praised his team's character and resilience after securing a memorable victory on their return to the English top flight following promotion from the Championship.
"Before we went to bed last night we couldn't have dreamt it any better," Coyle said. "It'll be a shock to people, I'm not saying it's how I thought it would go, but this team's got something special in terms of character, resilience, and we know what we're doing."
The defender emphasized that Hull entered the match with a clear game plan and belief in their ability to compete against premier opposition.
"We know we're going to get chances on the break," Coyle added. "You're against a fantastic side and we know that's the minimum it's going to take. So, so proud of the boys for what we achieved last year. We're not just here to make the numbers up, we're here to stay in this division. What an incredible start for the boys."
Hull will look to build on their opening day momentum in their upcoming Premier League fixtures, while Manchester United face pressure to rectify their defensive flaws and fitness levels before returning to action.
