Michael Carrick angrily dismissed a pundit's suggestion that Manchester United lacked passion during their 2-0 defeat at Hull City, calling the question 'ridiculous'. The newly-appointed head coach was speaking to Viaplay pundit and former Premier League striker Jan Åge Fjørtoft after the match.
Carrick's furious response
When Fjørtoft, who played for Swindon, Middlesbrough and Barnsley, asked if Carrick would 'accept there was a lack of passion in the first-half', the former United midfielder snapped back: '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.'
Fjørtoft backtracked slightly, asking if it was a case of Hull being more up for the match than United. Carrick again defended his side: 'No, no. The 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.'
Defeat in first permanent match
United's season started disastrously on Saturday when they were beaten by the newly-promoted side in their first Premier League game for nearly a decade. It was a deserved win for the Tigers, with the Red Devils coming under heavy criticism in Carrick's first match since being appointed head coach on a permanent basis.
The former United midfielder conceded that his side had 'a lot to learn' and was largely measured in his responses when speaking post-match, before the exchange with Fjørtoft surfaced.
Shearer's fitness concerns
After the defeat at Hull, Alan Shearer claimed United were not ready for the new season, saying: 'I haven't seen Manchester United in pre-season, but I saw them in this game and they didn't look fit. 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.'
Carrick will be hoping for a major improvement when United take on Ipswich Town at Old Trafford next Sunday.
