'That is ridiculous' - Michael Carrick furiously hits back at Manchester United passion claims after Hull defeat

Manchester United have endured a miserable start to their Premier League campaign after suffering a 2-0 defeat against newly-promoted Hull City at the MKM Stadium on Saturday. First-half goals from Semi Ajayi and Nobel Mendy sealed the victory for the hosts.

Speaking to Viaplay after the match, Carrick struggled to hide his frustration when former footballer Jan Aage Fjortoft suggested that the squad lacked fight and passion during the opening 45 minutes. The question clearly struck a nerve with the manager, who immediately fired back at the reporter to defend the commitment of his team.

Responding to the accusations, Carrick delivered a blunt assessment, saying: "Oh come on, that's ridiculous. You played football, you understand. That's a ridiculous thing to say. Just because you get beat doesn't mean you don't care about it. Their two goals came from set plays. Other than that, we had opportunities. That was where the game was. I don't think it was passion or anything to do with that. I think it was just their moments that made the difference in the game."

Despite the disappointing start, Carrick urged his team not to panic and to maintain focus. The manager emphasised that Manchester United will not let one result derail their entire campaign.

Addressing the defensive errors, Carrick added: "It’s a game of football, it’s a Premier League game. It’s their first game at home, and we’ve seen it many times before. You know, I said it before the game because it was always going to be a tough game. And set-plays, yeah, that’s it. We’ve been decent over a period of time at dealing with them and today we didn’t. You know, we can look into that, we can dissect it. We certainly won’t get carried away with the positives or the negatives. We never do. So I think we can stay calm and understand what we need to get better at."

Manchester United have an opportunity to bounce back when they host Ipswich at Old Trafford next Sunday. Carrick and his coaching staff will undoubtedly focus heavily on defending set-pieces during training this week. Meanwhile, the club have reportedly agreed a £70 million deal to sign midfielder Carlos Baleba from Brighton, which could provide a timely boost for the squad.