Wayne Rooney criticised Luke Shaw's defending as 'schoolboy' after Manchester United's 2-0 defeat to Hull City on Saturday, their first Premier League match of the season. Michael Carrick's side lost at the MKM Stadium as first-half goals from Semi Ajayni and Nobel Mendy secured the win for Hull.
Rooney, speaking on BBC's Match of the Day, focused on the second goal, where Shaw dropped off and played Hull's entire attacking line onside. 'This is schoolboy defending from Luke Shaw,' Rooney said. 'Man United had a good line, Hull would have been waiting for this all day, Luke Shaw drops in, he's five yards behind his back line and if the ball is good enough, which it was, it's impossible to stop.'
Rooney: United 'too passive' in defeat
Rooney also said United were 'too passive' and lacked intensity in their defending. 'Hull had a gameplan, they were getting balls into the penalty box, picking up second balls and Man United found it very difficult,' he added.
The former United captain said the team needs more energy in the press and better ball recovery. 'They sat in a mid block, didn't get any pressure on the ball, I think they won two balls in Hull's final third, there needs to be more energy in the press, how they go and win the ball back. Today was all too passive.'
Hull's tactical approach praised
Rooney also credited Hull's tactical setup, noting they used wing-backs effectively, similar to a system they played in a recent AC Milan match. 'I watched the AC Milan game last week and they [Hull] played the same system, they played with wing-backs and Man United really struggled to deal with that,' Rooney said. 'Maybe Hull have seen that game last week and changed it and I think fair play if that's the case because they looked a really good team today.'
United's need to build on last season
Rooney referenced a quote from Bruno Fernandes about United making the same mistakes away from home, and said the team must become more formidable. 'It's a strange quote from Bruno, I think for Manchester United now to build on what they did last season, since Michael went in they finished third in the Premier League and got Champions League football, to build on that you have to become a team who teams are scared of playing against.'
The defeat leaves United with no points from their opening game, and they will need to address these defensive issues ahead of their next fixture.
