Manchester United legend Paul Scholes has questioned Bruno Fernandes’ decision to publicly criticise his teammates after United suffered a disappointing 2-0 defeat against Hull City on the opening weekend of the Premier League season.

The result was a major setback for Michael Carrick’s side, particularly because Hull had only recently secured promotion and have already been widely tipped by some observers to struggle in the top flight. United conceded both goals from set pieces during the first half at the MKM Stadium, leaving the visitors with plenty to reflect on.

Following the final whistle, United captain Fernandes openly discussed the team’s performance and expressed his frustration with what he believed were familiar problems. The Portugal international claimed that United had repeated the same mistakes they made in away matches during the previous season.

Fernandes was particularly unhappy with the amount of possession United allowed Hull to enjoy during the early stages. He pointed out that the goalkeeper appeared to have more touches than anyone else during the opening 20 minutes, which he viewed as evidence that the team had failed to apply sufficient pressure.

The midfielder argued that United needed to press more aggressively and show greater intensity. He also highlighted their vulnerability from set pieces, insisting that the players needed to work harder to prevent conceding goals in situations that should have been manageable.

According to Fernandes, opponents such as Hull often wait patiently for an opportunity and attempt to exploit moments of weakness. He therefore felt United had to be more proactive and disciplined, particularly against teams that are expected to defend deeply and rely on set-piece situations.

However, Scholes was not impressed by the captain’s post-match assessment. Speaking on his podcast, The Good, The Bad & The Football, the former United midfielder challenged Fernandes to explain exactly what mistakes he believed the team had repeated.

Scholes also questioned whether Fernandes was in the right position to criticize the performance so openly, given that he himself had not produced one of his strongest displays against Hull.

The former midfielder argued that Fernandes would have been better advised to remain quiet, particularly after delivering a below-par performance. Scholes suggested that when a senior player criticizes the team publicly, that player must also be prepared to accept responsibility for his own contribution.

In Scholes’ view, Fernandes had not done enough individually to justify such strong public comments. The former United star therefore believed that the captain should have exercised greater caution when speaking to reporters immediately after the defeat.

The criticism did not stop with Fernandes. Scholes and former Manchester United striker Dion Dublin also raised concerns about comments made by Luke Shaw following the match.

Shaw admitted that United could have prepared more effectively for the game. The left-back specifically referred to Hull’s strength at set pieces and suggested that the team should have been better prepared for the threats they knew were coming.

Shaw explained that the players were aware of Hull’s qualities but nevertheless failed to deal with them properly. He suggested that the squad, collectively, needed to improve its preparation before matches.

Scholes interpreted those remarks as a criticism not only of the players but also of the coaching staff and manager. He argued that when a player publicly says the team was not sufficiently prepared, it can be interpreted as an indication that the manager failed to do his job properly.

The former United midfielder said Shaw had a history of making outspoken comments and suggested that a manager would naturally be unhappy if one of his players questioned the team’s preparation publicly.

Dublin took a similar view, arguing that there are occasions when a captain must speak to the media but should be careful about what he says. In his opinion, players should avoid making statements that provide journalists or opponents with unnecessary material to focus on, especially after a poor performance.

Dublin stressed that United’s display against Hull had already created enough questions. By criticizing the preparation publicly, he believed Fernandes and Shaw risked creating additional problems for Carrick.

Scholes went even further by discussing the issue of authority. He argued that comments about inadequate preparation could be seen as undermining the manager and his coaching staff.

The former midfielder compared the situation to the environment under Sir Alex Ferguson. Scholes suggested that if players had publicly claimed they were not properly prepared during Ferguson’s reign, they would have faced an immediate and serious confrontation with the manager.

Dublin also highlighted the difficult transition Carrick now faces as he moves from being a close colleague of the players to becoming their permanent manager.

Carrick previously had strong relationships with many members of the squad, particularly because of his long association with Manchester United. As a former player and coach, he understands the dressing room and has developed personal connections with the footballers.

However, Dublin believes Carrick now needs to establish a clear distinction between being a friend or colleague and being the manager. He argued that the new United boss may have to distance himself from some of those relationships in order to command the respect and authority required for the job.

The former striker explained that Carrick can no longer simply behave like a teammate who casually asks players how they are doing or invites them for a drink. His position has changed, and the players must now understand that he is the person responsible for making decisions and setting standards.

The defeat to Hull also produced another controversial talking point involving experienced defender Harry Maguire.

During Hull’s opening goal from a corner, Maguire appeared to have his arms around his own teammate, Noussair Mazraoui, instead of properly tracking the opponent he was supposed to mark.

As the corner was delivered, Maguire became entangled with Mazraoui while Semi Ajayi was left in a position to attack the ball. Ajayi eventually headed the delivery into the net, leaving United trailing.

The unusual defensive sequence attracted plenty of attention, and Scholes admitted that he struggled to understand exactly what Maguire was attempting to do.

Scholes suggested that Maguire may simply have lost his positional awareness. He speculated that the centre-back could have been concentrating on the ball while sensing a player in front of him, leading to the strange movement that almost resembled a hug.

Nevertheless, Scholes acknowledged that the incident looked particularly poor from the outside. He said he would be interested in hearing Maguire explain exactly what happened during the corner.

For United, the defeat leaves Carrick with plenty to address before the team’s next fixture. The problems identified by Fernandes, Shaw and Scholes all point towards concerns over defensive organization, set-piece preparation, pressing intensity and overall match readiness.

The Red Devils will have an opportunity to respond when they return to action on Sunday against another newly promoted side, Ipswich Town, at Old Trafford.

The fixture could therefore be an important