Michael Carrick insisted he would not blast his Manchester United’s flops despite a dismal 2-0 defeat at Hull in their opening game of the Premier League season labelled “absolutely shocking” by former great Alan Shearer.
United weren’t the only side to begin their campaign in humiliating fashion, with big-spending Tottenham slumping to an embarrassing 3-0 loss against Brentford.
Carrick’s side were rocked by first half goals from Semi Ajayi and Nobel Mendy at the MKM Stadium on Saturday.
Watch the biggest Aussie sports & the best from overseas LIVE on Kayo Sports | New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1.
Hull, who are back in the Premier League for the first time since 2017, were without 10 players due to injury but still put woeful United to the sword with a vibrant display.
The victory featured the debut of teenage Socceroos defender Lucas Herrington, who came on as a second half substitute after joining the club from Major Soccer League club Colorado Rapids in a deal worth a reported $A33 million.
Herrington, 18 came on in the 64th minute and won praise for an assured performance as he begins to mount a case to become a regular starter.
“It doesn’t get much better than that,” a delighted Herrington told Stan Sport post-game.
“It was such a privilege to be out there with the boys in front of my mum and my agent.
“I thought I was prepared until I got out there and the fans were just so ectastic.
“We had a big lead to protect and I was just so happy to be given the trust by the coaching staff to be out there.
“It was a great moment. I don’t think I could have imagined it any better.
“That was the best atmosphere I’ve been involved in, for sure … it’s so special as a player, especially (for) me, from Australia, we don’t have that sort of atmosphere. So to come here as a young player, it was super special.”
It was a chastening start for United, who are expected to mount a title challenge after finishing third last term.
There was scant evidence that the fallen giants are capable of going toe to toe with champions Arsenal.
Leading the host of critics was former England captain Shearer, who told BBC Sport the team were “absolutely shocking”.
“No intensity, no closing down, no hunger – they’ve been terrible,” he said.
“They’ve been really, really poor … the one thing that you have to do when you go to a promoted club is match their energy, match their intensity at least.
“They’ve actually been terrible in every position – forward, midfield and defensively.
“I haven’t seen United in pre-season but 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.
“There was only one team who looked really fit there, and it wasn’t Man United.”
But the stoic Carrick was determined to keep his composure to avoid the kind of emotional outburst that doomed his sacked predecessor Ruben Amorim last season.
“We came here to win so to not take anything away is hugely disappointing. It is not a nice feeling but it is not going to change our direction as a team or a club,” Carrick said.
“You have to carry on as normal. We just don’t all have to shout and scream and create some chaos. Calmness doesn’t mean there is not emotion.”
As if things weren’t bad enough for travelling United fans, news late in the game that several trains back to Manchester would be cancelled prompted gleeful mockery from Hull supporters.
Tottenham have splashed out over £200 million ($A380 million) in a bid to improve a squad that narrowly avoided relegation to the Championship on the final day of last season.
Roberto De Zerbi gave debuts to four of his new recruits as Sandro Tonali, Andrew Robertson, Marcos Senesi and Jan Paul van Hecke all started, while Mateus Fernandes came off the bench in the second half.
But Brentford, assembled on a fraction of Tottenham’s budget, ran riot in west London with a dynamic display that exposed the flaws in the visitors’ costly rebuilding plan.
Keane Lewis-Potter and Vitaly Janelt netted for Keith Andrews’ side in the first half before Michael Kayode struck after the interval.
It could have been even worse for Tottenham as Igor Thiago missed a penalty that would have put Brentford four up.
Pierre Sage, Crystal Palace’s new French manager, endured a miserable start in a 2-0 loss at Everton.
Under Sage’s predecessor Oliver Glasner, the Eagles won the FA Cup in 2025 and the UEFA Conference League last season.
But Glasner left for Nottingham Forest in the close-season, with Sage hired after leading Lens to a second-place finish in Ligue 1 and a French Cup triumph last season.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall gave Everton the lead against the run of play in the 42nd minute, dispossessing Daniel Munoz before lashing a powerful shot into the far corner of Dean Henderson’s net.
Thierno Barry added to Sage’s misery with a bullet header from Iliman Ndiaye’s 53rd minute cross.
Glasner’s first game as Forest boss ended in a 1-0 defeat against Leeds at the City Ground.
Anton Stach’s 88th minute free-kick squirmed past Forest keeper Matz Sels to seal the points for Leeds, who face Glasner’s men again in the League Cup second round on Tuesday.
Ipswich marked their return to the Premier League with a dramatic 2-1 win against Sunderland at Portman Road.
Emersonn put Ipswich ahead with a debut goal in the 24th minute before Nilson Angulo equalised in the 39th minute with a fine free-kick.
Jack Clarke curled home in the 90th minute, giving Gary O’Neil a victory in his first game as Ipswich boss after replacing Kieran McKenna.
On Sunday, Manchester City start life without Pep Guardiola when new boss Enzo Maresca takes charge for the first time against Bournemouth.
Liverpool, who parted with Egypt forward Mohamed Salah in the close-season, are also under new management as former Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola prepares for his first match against Newcastle.
Arsenal opened their title defence with an emphatic 3-0 win at home to promoted Coventry on Friday.