‘Same mistakes as we did last season’ - Fernandes slams teammates after shocking defeat to Hull

The Red Devils began their 2026/2027 Premier League campaign with a stunning 2-0 opening-day loss to Hull City.

Two set-piece goals in the first half condemned Michael Carrick’s men to their first defeat of the season.

Despite fielding a star-studded lineup that included their new midfield duo of Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans, United stumbled in a performance reminiscent of their struggles last season. 

After the game, Fernandes, Man United's captain, was visibly frustrated and pointed to familiar failings, particularly in away fixtures.

"Same mistakes as we did last season in every away game," Fernandes lamented. "We give too much of the ball to them. In the first 20 minutes, the goalkeeper had more touches on the ball… too much time."

The Portuguese midfielder demanded a change in approach from his squad, highlighting specific areas of concern.

"We need to press a little bit more, be more aggressive, and use set plays—we need to work on it, be more aggressive, and try not to concede these types of goals," he added. 

"We knew before the game that [set-pieces] would be a big part of their game. They played a full pre-season with a back four," Fernandes noted. 

"They went against us with a back five, also to have some height... for these moments [at set-pieces] because they could get a chance from it and defend well from our set-pieces. The most frustrating thing is that we lost the game."

For Hull City, the result was a dream start to their campaign after barely making promotion to the Premier League.