Carrick dismisses 'lazy' passion criticism after Man Utd's opening-day loss to Hull

Michael Carrick has called out what he describes as ‘lazy’ criticism of Manchester United after the Red Devils were beaten by newly-promoted Hull City on the opening day of the 2026/27 Premier League season, insisting one defeat does not expose a deeper problem with the squad’s mentality.

The United manager was visibly irritated in his post-match remarks, dismissing a reporter’s suggestion that the team lacked passion as ‘ridiculous’. Asked to revisit that exchange in his pre-match press conference ahead of the Ipswich Town fixture, Carrick stood firm.

“It’s one game,” he said. “I think there’s enough leadership in our dressing room that we’ll have it throughout the season. Just because we lose a game doesn’t just mean leadership, or I got passion thrown at me after the game — it’s not just that. You lose two set-plays like we did, changes the game.”

Carrick was equally pointed when addressing the broader tendency to write off a side after a single result. “I think it’s so easy and lazy to just — team loses a game, everything’s wrong. This is wrong, this is wrong, not trying enough, not enough passion. It’s just like the obvious answer.”

Despite his defiance in public, the Englishman acknowledged there are areas his squad must sharpen before facing Ipswich. “There’s certainly things that we can be a little bit clearer on, and calmer on in certain moments,” he said, adding that the same analytical standards apply after wins as after defeats. “We don’t get carried away when we win certain games because we know it’s not been perfect.”

United have invested significantly in midfield this summer, bringing in Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans and Carlos Baleba. Baleba, however, will miss the Ipswich game as he continues his recovery from an ankle injury sustained during his time at Brighton.