Michael Carrick demands Man Utd response after Hull City humiliation

Michael Carrick has demanded an immediate response from Manchester United when they face Ipswich Town in their first Premier League home game of the season.

United endured a disastrous opening weekend, suffering a 2-0 defeat away to newly promoted Hull City at the MKM Stadium.

Carrick now wants his players to put that performance behind them and deliver both a victory and a significantly improved display when Ipswich arrive at Old Trafford on Sunday.

The defeat at Hull increased scrutiny on United after just one league game, while also continuing Carrick's difficult record against promoted opposition.

The United head coach has averaged only 0.33 points per game against newly promoted teams during his time in charge.

“We want a good performance and a win, obviously,” Carrick said ahead of the Ipswich clash.

“The first home game of the season is one we really look forward to, and with the supporters coming, we’re massively looking forward to the game.”

Carrick acknowledged the scale of last weekend's setback but believes Old Trafford provides an immediate opportunity to respond.

“We had a setback last week and we want to get back to playing well and winning football matches,” he added.

United's preparations have been complicated by injury problems.

Summer signing Carlos Baleba is expected to miss up to three weeks with an ankle ligament problem following his move from Brighton in a deal worth up to £70m.

That delays the midfielder's United debut and rules him out of Sunday's game.

Amad Diallo is also unavailable, reducing Carrick's options as he searches for a winning formula.

There was more encouraging news at academy level, however, after United's Under-21s recorded an emphatic 5-0 victory over Ipswich.

Carrick praised the performance and highlighted highly-rated 15-year-old JJ Gabriel, who scored an impressive goal.

“He’s obviously got a really big talent,” Carrick said. “He’s trained with us quite a bit, he’s getting experience all the time.”

Ipswich will travel to Manchester with momentum after beginning their campaign with a dramatic 2-1 victory over Sunderland.

Gary O'Neil's side are now attempting to win their opening two matches of a top-flight season for only the fourth time in the club's history.

United can take confidence from their record in this fixture, having gone unbeaten in their last eight home league meetings with Ipswich.

The Tractor Boys, meanwhile, are looking for their first victory over United since September 1994.

For Carrick, avoiding another upset is essential before the transfer window closes and the international break begins.

United host Ipswich at Old Trafford on Sunday with Carrick under pressure to produce an immediate reaction to the Hull defeat.

Victory would restore some early momentum before the international break. Another defeat to newly promoted opposition, however, would increase the scrutiny surrounding United after a difficult start to the campaign.