RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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Bruno Fernandes lambasted Manchester United for making the 'same mistakes' once again in an away game as they suffered a shock 2-0 defeat at new boys Hull City in their opening game of the new Premier League campaign.
United conceded twice from set pieces in the first half and never recovered, as they were sloppy and Michael Carrick's side gave the ball away so cheaply in midfield.
Speaking after the game, Fernandes didn't mince his words and pointed to being poor on the ball as the main problem.
"The same mistakes as we did last season in every away game," a clearly annoyed Fernandes told TNT Sports in the UK. "We give too much of the ball to them. I think they have, in the beginning of the game, the first 20 minutes, the goalkeeper was the one that had more touches on the ball. He had too much time. I think we need to press a little bit more. We need to be a little bit more aggressive. And then, again, set plays, we need to work on it, to be more aggressive, and try to not concede this type of goals. Obviously, against teams like this, they're waiting for that moment."
So, basically, United didn't press high enough and switched off defensively from two set pieces which was their downfall.
Fernandes was clearly annoyed by a lack of pressure higher up the pitch and that is something Carrick will need to address. The main focus this summer has been on bringing in new midfielders, with Carlos Baleba set to join the ranks, and United just couldn't get any rhythm going in the final third and were too often caught out of position after sloppy mistakes.
Were United caught out by Hull's ferocity and how tough it would be playing away against a newly-promoted team who had nothing to lose?
"No, we knew. If someone didn't know, it's very surprising, because we know in the Premier League this type of away grounds are very difficult to play against. You need to match everything in levels of intensity and aggression and everything," Fernandes said. "We had that. Apart from that two set pieces that end up costing us the game."
Asked about starting a season in this way and the frustration United's fans will be feeling, Fernandes said he understands how the supporters will be feeling but urges them to stick on their side ahead of their home game against Ipswich Town next weekend.
"I understand the frustration. Obviously, every season that starts we want to compete and we want to go as forward as we can winning every game. We need them on our side like we did last season. We need them to believe in us. But obviously, we know that we need more also from ourselves," Fernandes added.
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