Manchester United left-back Luke Shaw started the game against Hull City, but failed to impress as his team stuttered to a 2-0 defeat. The Tigers scored both goals from set-pieces, further highlighting the Red Devils’ issues at the back.
Shaw, meanwhile, is coming off a historic campaign, during which he started every game in the Premier League for the first time in his career. The Englishman turned 31 this summer and is already in the final year of his contract at Old Trafford.
Luke Shaw Stats: 2025/26 Season
| Competition | Appearances | Goals | Assists | Yellow Cards | Red Cards | Minutes Played |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Premier League | 38 | 1 | 1 | 9 | - | 3,233' |
| Total | 38 | 1 | 1 | 9 | - | 3,233' |
Source: Transfermarkt.
While he is the longest-serving player at the club, the Premier League giants are already laying down succession plans for the position. Against Hull City, Shaw played the full 90 minutes, registered one tackle and won just three of his seven duels.
However, the left-back also managed four key passes, but United legend Wayne Rooney was hardly pleased with his defending.
Schoolboy error from Shaw
Shaw was at fault for the second goal as he played the entire Hull City attack onside, allowing Nobel Mendy to score. Speaking on BBC’s Match of the Day, as cited by the Metro, Rooney slammed his countryman for the lapse of concentration, stating: “This is schoolboy defending from Luke Shaw.”
“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.”
“Hull had a gameplan, they were getting balls into the penalty box, picking up second balls and Man United found it very difficult.”
United struggling to defend
Rooney also pointed out that United’s struggles at the back were evident from pre-season. He continued: “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.”
“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.”
Red Devils skipper Bruno Fernandes did not mince his words at the end of the game, slamming the team for repeating the same mistakes from last season.
Reflecting on those comments, Rooney concluded: “It’s a strange quote from Bruno [about United making the same mistakes away from home], 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.”
“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.”
Final Thoughts
The shocking defeat to Hull City on opening day should serve as a wake-up call for United ahead of a fixture-congested campaign. With the Red Devils also competing in the Champions League this season, the team needs to show improvements next weekend against Ipswich Town.
Featured image by Evan Treacey/Getty Images
