Former Premier League striker Jan Åge Fjørtoft has insisted that Michael Carrick and Manchester United were pleased with his post-match interview, despite the United manager reacting angrily to one of his questions after a 2-0 defeat at Hull City. The former Middlesbrough, Swindon and Barnsley forward, who now works for ViaPlay, spoke to Carrick after the Red Devils' opening Premier League match of the season on Saturday, August 23, 2026.
Question sparks tense exchange
Fjørtoft asked Carrick: 'I guess in management there are so many buzzwords hanging around, like passion, intensity and “go for it”. But would you accept that there was a lack of passion in the first half?' The United boss looked annoyed and snapped back: 'Oh, come on. That’s ridiculous.'
Pushed for his own assessment, Carrick said: '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 tried again, suggesting that Hull seemed more up for the game than Carrick’s players, but the manager rejected that assessment.
'No. No. The two goals came from set plays. Other than that, we had opportunities. That was where the game was,' Carrick said. '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.'
Fjørtoft responds to criticism
The 59-year-old, who won 71 caps for Norway, received criticism on social media for the interview but said no one had fallen out over the questions. He also pointed out that he has known Carrick, a man he shares Middlesbrough connections with, for a long time.
'To those of you who follow me—feel free to unfollow,' Fjørtoft wrote in reply to an X user. 'Carrick, Manchester United, and we all thought it turned out well. Had a good chat with them afterwards, too.' He added in another reply: 'Both Carrick and Manchester United were pleased with the discussion. I have known Carrick for many years.'
Neville adds to criticism
Fjørtoft was not the only one to question Manchester United's performance. Gary Neville told Sky Sports that Hull were more competitive and aggressive than his former side. He also said United must make signings in defence before the transfer window closes, as they remain short of top-level quality at centre-back and full-back.
'Hull did everything they had to in terms of competing, being aggressive, organised and hard to break down,' Neville said. 'Manchester United fell short in those areas in the early stages of the game and they have struggled at times against teams that play deeper. It’s a massive wake-up call. Hull didn’t just match Man United physically but were better than them in that area and that will be the big disappointment for Michael Carrick.'
'Too many players were well below par and he will want that to just be a blip, you can’t let it stretch into next weekend as well, they have to be at it. What it did highlight is that Man United defence isn’t good enough. To be fair the club probably know that, they rebuilt the forward line last summer and rebuilt the midfield this summer with a few signings. I don’t know if they’ve got the money or not but they do need a centre-back, and they do need full-backs. They just do. There’s no other way of putting it really. That was highlighted yesterday.'
