Carrick defends dismal Man Utd loss: 'We did some good things'

Manchester United head coach Michael Carrick defends side despite opening-weekend defeat at promoted Hull City; first-half goals from Semi Ajayi and Nobel Mendy give Tigers shock 2-0 victory at MKM Stadium

Man Utd boss Michael Carrick focused on the "good things" his side had done despite a dismal 2-0 defeat at newly-promoted Hull City on the opening day of the new season.

United were outfought and outplayed by a Hull side widely tipped to return to the Sky Bet Championship this season at the MKM Stadium, with two goals from set pieces giving the Tigers a richly deserved victory and their first over United in more than half a century.

The loss punctured the optimism around Old Trafford at the start of Carrick's first full season in charge.

He had picked up more points than anyone else since returning to the club in January and had overseen the arrival of Andre Santos and Youri Tielemans - with Carlos Baleba likely to follow - before a shock defeat to a Hull side missing as many as eight first-team players brought things crashing back to earth.

Despite losing 63 per cent of their duels and two thirds of their headers in a first half where Hull scored both their goals, Carrick said: "We did some good things today and it will get lost. We have to find answers but because we lose one game, it doesn't mean everything needs dissecting."

He added to TNT Sport : "Some of it was OK, there's bits to improve on. It was never going to be perfect, but going behind and giving ourselves a lot to do makes it more difficult.

"It was a typical one of those games, with a newly-promoted team at home. You can't give them much, they've got a lot to hold on to.

"After that, we had moments and opportunities but we didn't have the spark to put the chances away or create any more. We're bitterly disappointed with the result, but we won't let it knock us."

Captain Bruno Fernandes struck a more critical tone of his team-mates and said he had seen it all before as United were punished for their lack of aggression and intensity.

"It was the same mistakes we made last season, every away game we give too much of the ball to the opponent," he told TNT Sport .

"In the first 20 minutes, their goalkeeper was the one with the most touches.

"We needed to press more, be more aggressive, and then again we need to work on set-plays and not concede these type of goals.

"Against these types of teams, they are waiting for that moment. We knew before the game set-pieces would be a big part of their game."