Man Utd suffered an unexpected 2-0 defeat to Hull on the opening day of the new Premier League season.
United lost 2-0 to Hull on the opening day
United lost 2-0 to Hull on the opening day
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"Who are ya?" rang around the MKM Stadium following Hull's second goal against Manchester United. "You're getting mauled by the Tigers," was aired shortly after by a buoyant home crowd.
United's players looked shell-shocked after falling two goals behind. Bruno Fernandes pleaded with the referee, Youri Tielemans threw his arms in the air, and the rest of the players looked very sheepish.
Hull were the sixth-best team in the Championship last season, and United were the third-best side in the Premier League, so the meeting between the two sides on the opening day certainly did not go as many expected.
The first half ended with Ayden Heaven arguing with Oli McBurnie as the teams went down the tunnel. Heaven may have felt he was fouled for Semi Ajayi's opening goal, but he was outmuscled by the experienced McBurnie.
McBurnie gave Hull something United did not have on Saturday afternoon: a focal point. Benjamin Sesko was back in the squad after recovering from a shin injury, but he came into the game undercooked after not playing a single minute during pre-season.
The warning signs were there from an early stage. Noussair Mazraoui cleared a dangerous cross to stop McBurnie, and Senne Lammens was forced into action by the striker.
Michael Carrick had problems at both ends of the pitch. His defence looked shaky and his attack wasn't firing. The new-look midfield of Andrey Santos, Tielemans and Fernandes was not controlling the game.
It may be a new season, but Carrick's touchline behaviour has not changed. The United boss has remained calm since taking over from Ruben Amorim, and his demeanour was the same against Hull, even after Nobel Mendy made it 2-0.
The manner in which both goals were scored was concerning to say the least. Harry Maguire was the only player who looked capable of dealing with Hull's physicality, and United may rue not adding more height to their squad this summer.
The contrast between Hull manager Sergej Jakirović and Carrick was stark. The Bosnian couldn't stand still on the touchline, while Carrick carefully picked his moments to pass on instructions.
Steve Holland continues to be a valued sounding board for Carrick, who sought his assistant's counsel for the first time as half-time approached. The pair were spotted in dialogue about what had gone wrong, although they could have saved time by questioning whether anything had gone right.
Marcus Rashford was sent out to warm up during the interval to prepare for his introduction. The forward received warm applause and cheers from the away section, which felt significant after his 18-month exile.
Carrick praised Rashford for training "fantastically well" in the build-up to the game, and it was confirmed he'd been given the No.9 shirt before kick-off.
Rashford's first act was a defensive header. The 28-year-old will be aware that he must contribute in his own box as well as the opposition's for his unexpected second chance to work out.
Rashford's introduction came at the expense of Patrick Dorgu, so United's problem of not having a focal point remained. Matheus Cunha looked lost down the middle and struggled to get into the game.
Carrick warned that Hull would not be an easy game, but there is no excuse for failing to beat them. Although there was huge optimism for the new season, which increased after the news of United's agreement to sign Carlos Baleba, the result brings United back down to earth.
United's failure to make the ball stick up front against Hull showed that Sesko needs to get back up to speed as quickly as possible. United looked better when he came onto the pitch with 20 minutes remaining, but the issue is that the Slovenia international will need time to get match fit. He is a solution to one of United's biggest problems on Saturday, yet he is not ready.
Carrick seemed happy to go into the new season with Bryan Mbeumo and Cunha as makeshift options down the middle. After all, it worked successfully last term, but you go backwards if you stand still in the top-flight.
It wasn't supposed to start like this for Carrick. Suddenly, next weekend's game against Ipswich Town becomes even more interesting.