United View: Reds stunned by the Tigers

Manchester United opened their 2026/27 Premier League season over the weekend with a trip to newly promoted Hull City, and a match that many expected to be straightforward for Carrick’s Reds turned out to be anything but. 

First half goals from Semi Ajayi and Nobel Mendy helped the home side pick up a deserved victory, and their first against United in the Premier League era. 

Hull posed a threat all afternoon, with crosses in particular causing all sorts of problems for the visitors’ back four. 

There were early warning signs for United, with Oli McBurnie’s header forcing a fine save from Senne Lammens, and it didn’t take long for the hosts to make their pressure count, taking the lead on 17 minutes. 

A deep corner wasn’t dealt with, and despite Lammens producing a heroic save to deny McBurnie once again, Ajayi was there to turn in on the follow up. 

Things went from bad to worse for Carrick’s men, with new signing Youri Tielemans giving away a cheap foul on the edge after a cute nutmeg, and Hull taking full advantage. 

Regan Slater’s inch-perfect delivery was powered home by Ajayi’s centre back partner Nobel Mendy, who couldn’t believe the space he had inside United’s box to head home the second. 

United’s attempt to mount a comeback was feeble to say the least, barely troubling the visiting goalkeeper for the remainder of the afternoon. 

Not a single player in beige covered themselves in glory at the MKM Stadium, with a lack of quality shown in all areas. 

Patrick Dorgu was hooked at half-time after a hugely disappointing display, with the only real positive to take from a dismal day being Marcus Rashford’s reasonably bright performance from the bench. 

Elsewhere, new signings Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans failed to impress, with the latter looking far from match fit.  

The absence of a focal point was also clear for all to see, with Matheus Cunha failing to have an impact having started ahead of Benjamin Sesko. 

While it is still early days, the performance will send alarm bells ringing among supporters, with a response against Ipswich now a necessity.  

On a positive note, The Reds have confirmed the long-awaited arrival of Brighton midfielder Carlos Baleba, who joins on a five-year contract, with the option of a further year. 

The Cameroonian – who joins United for a fee which could reach £70m – will provide some much-needed legs at the heart of midfield. 

And having showed such promise at just 22-years-old, you can see why the higher ups at Old Trafford were so keen to get him onboard. 

Elsewhere, unsurprisingly, skipper Bruno Fernandes was awarded the PFA Player of the Year award on Tuesday, following his record-breaking 2025/26 campaign. 

Our Portuguese magnifico – who hit 21 assists last season – was rightly rewarded for his exploits, having made history on the final day at Brighton.