Match of the Day pundit Alan Shearer has criticized Manchester United following a "dreadful" performance at Hull City, accusing Michael Carrick's side of lacking fitness after a 2-0 defeat on the opening day of the season.
The Red Devils wilted against newly-promoted Hull on Saturday, with goals from Semi Ajayi and Nobel Mendy securing victory for the hosts. The manner of United's defeat has caused alarm among supporters and pundits following a display in which Shearer noted the team offered nothing upfront.
Manchester United, one of English football's most decorated clubs, entered the new campaign seeking stability. Shearer, the former Newcastle United and England striker who remains the all-time leading goalscorer in Premier League history, delivered a withering verdict on the BBC's flagship football highlights program on Saturday night.
Alan Shearer verdict on Match of the Day
"Man United were dreadful in all positions I thought, particularly upfront, they offered nothing," Shearer said on the broadcast. "At times I struggled to work out what they were trying to do."
Shearer highlighted what he viewed as a fundamental lack of condition and energy across the squad during their first competitive match of the campaign.
"[There is] so much to work on, so much to improve, I know it was the first game of the season but there was without a doubt a lack of energy, they just didn't look fit, Manchester United," he said. "There was only one team who were going to win that today from the very first minute, you saw the energy, you saw the intensity."
The former England captain stressed that travelling to face a newly-promoted side required a basic level of work rate that United failed to match on the day.
"That would be the worrying thing - you know that as a team going away from home to a newly promoted team, you know what you're going to get and you have to match them as a minimum and Man Utd didn't today," Shearer added. "They couldn't live with them."
Michael Carrick on opening day defeat
The match at Hull was Carrick's first fixture in charge since being appointed head coach on a permanent basis. Carrick, a former Manchester United midfielder who won five Premier League titles during his playing career at Old Trafford, earned the permanent role after impressing during an interim tenure that followed the sacking of Ruben Amorim.
Despite the opening defeat, Carrick refused to hit the panic button regarding his team's performance or overall direction.
"We haven't lost many games in six, seven months," Carrick said after the match. "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 United head coach insisted that positive elements of their play were being overshadowed by the final scoreline.
"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," he 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."
Manchester United manager addresses reaction
While Carrick is rarely ruffled whether winning, losing, or drawing, behind his calm demeanor was a coach hurting at seeing his side totally outplayed on the opening weekend.
"I'm talking to you quite calm, but I'm not exactly calm inside and enjoying the day, you know?" Carrick said. "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."
Carrick emphasized that maintaining composure in public does not signify a lack of desire or emotion within the dressing room.
"It just doesn't mean that we all have to shout and scream and come out and create some chaos just because of it," Carrick concluded. "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."
