Michael Carrick hits back at ‘ridiculous’ criticism after Manchester United suffer shock Hull defeat

Michael Carrick was clearly unhappy with one line of questioning after Manchester United opened their Premier League campaign with a 2-0 defeat at newly promoted Hull City.

The result was a deeply disappointing start for United, particularly against a Hull side widely tipped to struggle at the bottom of the table. But it was Carrick’s reaction after the final whistle that quickly became another talking point.

Asked by former Middlesbrough striker Jan Age Fjortoft whether his players had lacked “passion” during the first half, the Manchester United boss immediately pushed back.

“Come on, that’s ridiculous,” Carrick responded.

“You played football, you understand. That’s a ridiculous thing to say. Just because you get beaten doesn’t mean you don’t care about it.”

Carrick rejects claims United lacked effort

The criticism came after a difficult afternoon for United, who found themselves two goals behind before half-time.

Captain Bruno Fernandes had already expressed frustration over the team’s tendency to surrender possession cheaply, while Luke Shaw admitted that United had not prepared properly for the match.

Former Premier League star Alan Shearer went further, accusing Carrick’s players of looking “unfit” during the defeat.

However, Carrick insisted that the problem was not a lack of desire.

“Their two goals came from set plays. Other than that, we had opportunities. That was where the game was,” he said.

“I don’t think it was passion or anything to do with that. It was just their moments that made the difference in the game.”

Hull’s goals came through Semi Ajayi and Nobel Mendy, with both strikes arriving from set-piece situations and giving the hosts a commanding advantage before the break.

United attempted to change the momentum after half-time, bringing on Marcus Rashford and Benjamin Sesko as they searched for a way back into the contest.

But Hull held firm, with goalkeeper Konstantinos Tzolakis playing a major role in keeping United at bay.

Carrick refuses to panic after opening-day setback

Despite the disappointing result, Carrick was adamant that the defeat would not derail Manchester United’s wider plans.

United’s next Premier League fixture comes at home against Ipswich, another club promoted from the Championship last season, giving Carrick an immediate opportunity to respond.

The United boss acknowledged the disappointment but urged everyone around the club to keep the result in perspective.

“It’s one game. It’s the first game of the season so it’s disappointing enough and it hurts, of course it does,” Carrick said.

“But it’s one game, it doesn’t change the whole course of the direction the team or the football club is going in. We’ll stay calm, stay in the bubble and focus on next week.”

That message comes after a result that has already prompted considerable scrutiny of United and Carrick, but the manager made it clear he does not intend to allow one match to dictate the direction of the campaign.

Carrick keeps quiet on £70m Carlos Baleba deal

Carrick could also have a major new addition available by next Sunday, with Manchester United having agreed a £70m deal with Brighton for midfielder Carlos Baleba.

However, when asked about the transfer after the Hull defeat, Carrick refused to discuss the situation before the deal is officially his to talk about.

“I had all eyes on this [game] today, so any other player, at any other club… until he’s ours, it’s not for me to comment on that,” he said.

For now, Carrick’s attention remains firmly on the players already at Manchester United and the task of responding to an unexpected opening-day defeat.

The loss to Hull has generated plenty of criticism, but Carrick’s response suggests he believes the focus should be on correcting the problems exposed at the MKM Stadium rather than questioning his players’ commitment.