Matias Brix Mikkelsen

🚨Rio Ferdinand on where Michael Carrick got it wrong as Manchester United lost 2–0 to Hull City: 🗣️ Rio Ferdinand: “Listen, when I saw the starting lineup and then heard Carrick confirm that Amad was injured, I immediately looked at Hull’s back five and thought, ‘Sesko should have started this game.’ If Amad isn’t available and you know Hull are going to defend with five, you need a proper presence in the box. Bruno and Tielemans are both capable of delivering quality crosses, so why not have your big striker attacking them? “You don’t necessarily need Luke Shaw at left-back either. Dorgu could have held that position, with Cunha playing through the middle and Mainoo starting alongside Tielemans. For me, only one of the two new midfield signings should have started. Santos and Tielemans are both new to the team, and putting them together immediately in a difficult away game was a risk. “Then you have Mbeumo on the right, Cunha supporting the attack and Sesko occupying those centre-backs. Suddenly, you’ve got a team that can stretch Hull, attack crosses and create problems in the box. Instead, United made it easier for Hull to stay compact. “And that’s the frustrating part. Hull showed their hand very early. They had five defenders, four midfielders and were protecting the central areas. United needed to recognise that and change the way they attacked. You cannot keep trying to play through the middle when the opposition has deliberately put a wall there. “I’m not putting the whole defeat on Carrick because the players have to take responsibility as well. They lost too many individual battles and didn’t show enough intensity. But the manager has to look at the game and ask himself whether he picked the right tools for the job. “Manchester United had enough quality to win this match. But against a newly promoted side sitting deep, you have to pick a lineup that can force them out of their shape. I don’t think Carrick did that from the first whistle.”