Rooney says Man Utd must become feared - but what went wrong at Hull?

What the report says

Manchester United’s Premier League season began with a 2-0 defeat away to newly promoted Hull, prompting scrutiny over the team’s intensity, preparation and defending on set pieces. BBC Sport reported that head coach Michael Carrick urged calm after the loss, saying one result should not lead to an overreaction, while acknowledging United were hurt by the outcome.

Former United captain Wayne Rooney, now a pundit, said the club must become a side other teams fear and argued that United needed more energy in the press. Alan Shearer also questioned whether the team looked fit enough, while Luke Shaw said the squad knew Hull’s strengths but did not deal well enough with the danger from dead-ball situations.

According to BBC Sport, Hull boss Sergej Jakirovic had studied United’s recent matches and adjusted his tactics to exploit space out wide and create crosses into the box. Hull scored from two set-piece situations, with Semi Ajayi and Nobel Mendy converting chances after pressure around the United goal. The report noted that Carrick may consider changes for United’s next match against Ipswich at Old Trafford on 30 August.

The broader context is that United are under early-season pressure to respond quickly after a poor opening performance, with attention likely to fall on both their tactical setup and squad selection before the next fixture.