Owen Hargreaves believes Manchester United’s defeat at Hull City exposed a problem Michael Carrick will have to solve quickly if his side are going to build on last season’s third-place finish.
United travelled to the MKM Stadium on Saturday expecting to begin the new Premier League campaign with a win. Instead, they were beaten 2-0 by the newly promoted side and produced very little going forward.
Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos started together in midfield, but neither was able to make much of an impression. Tielemans, in particular, endured a difficult debut.
For Owen Hargreaves, though, the bigger issue was the lack of space United usually thrive in.
Hargreaves explains why Manchester United struggled
Hargreaves believes United looked far more dangerous under Carrick last season when opponents were willing to come onto them and leave room behind.
That wasn’t the case at Hull.
“I think that showed today, Sesko didn’t start and Cunha played a little bit deeper. He’s a 10, and plays very effective off the left,” Owen Hargreaves said while talking to TNT Sports after the game.
The absence of Benjamin Sesko from the starting lineup also meant Matheus Cunha was used in a deeper role, with United finding it difficult to turn possession into genuine chances.
Hargreaves thinks the arrival of Carlos Baleba could make a difference to the overall balance of Carrick’s squad, but he doesn’t believe that alone will solve everything.
“But I do think with Baleba coming into the team, it is a good squad and it is a top four squad, I just think they were at their best last season counter-attacking teams.”
Manchester United had possession, but the hosts were happy to sit in and wait for their opportunity rather than leave huge gaps behind them.
Hargreaves believes that was where United looked short of ideas.
“Remember the first ones, Carrick’s first games against City and Arsenal. Today, where they had possession of the ball they didn’t look like scoring.”
The difference is important. United were able to hurt bigger teams last season when the game opened up and their attackers had room to run into. Hull offered very little of that.
Manchester United need another solution
Hargreaves doesn’t appear to view the Hull defeat as proof that United are a poor side. His concern is more about how Carrick’s team respond when opponents refuse to play the way United want.
“I think it will be easier when the space opens up. Today there wasn’t that.”
Manchester United need to find ways of breaking teams down when they aren’t being given the counter-attacking opportunities that suited them so well last season.
“I think they go back to the drawing board and look at what they can do differently.”
There will be plenty of teams willing to sit deeper against United this season. Carrick now needs to make sure his side can deal with that.
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