Shearer brands Manchester United 'unfit' after dismal 2-0 opening-day loss at Hull

Manchester United began their Premier League season with a chastening 2-0 defeat at newly promoted Hull City on Saturday, prompting Alan Shearer to declare the visitors looked physically unready for top-flight football.

Hull defenders Semi Ajayi and Nobel Mendy scored from set pieces in the first half to settle the contest. Ajayi broke the deadlock inside 17 minutes, pouncing on a rebound after goalkeeper Senne Lammens had denied Oli McBurnie from a corner. Mendy then doubled the lead before the interval, converting a free-kick from Regan Slater.

Shearer was unsparing in his assessment on BBC Radio 5 Live. “I haven’t seen Manchester United in pre-season. I saw them in this game and they didn’t look fit,” he said. “They didn’t look ready to play 90 minutes of intense, high pressure, high energy football. There was only one team that looked fit there and it wasn’t Manchester United.”

Captain Bruno Fernandes was equally blunt after the final whistle, drawing direct comparisons with last season’s away-day failings. “Same mistakes as we did last season — every away game we give too much of the ball to them. In the first 20 minutes, the goalkeeper was the one with the most touches,” Fernandes said. “We knew before the game set-pieces would be a big part of their game. They played all pre-season with a back four but had a five against us for some height, for these moments. The most frustrating thing is that we lost the game.”

Manager Michael Carrick was more measured but acknowledged there is work to do ahead of next Sunday’s home fixture against fellow promoted side Ipswich. “Today’s a game we can’t ignore, we have a lot to learn from it — but we will,” Carrick said, adding that he would address specific areas for improvement internally rather than publicly.

The defeat raises immediate questions about United’s pre-season preparation and their vulnerability to set-piece threats, with Shearer’s fitness concerns likely to intensify scrutiny on Carrick as the campaign gets under way.