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Manchester United fans slammed Youri Tielemans for his sluggish performance after their 2-0 defeat against Hull City, despite the Belgian achieving an impressive 89% passing accuracy.

The Premier League 2026/27 season kicked off in nightmare fashion for Manchester United as Michael Carrick's side fell to a disappointing 2-0 defeat against newly promoted Hull City. The hosts secured a deserved victory thanks to goals from Semi Ajayi and Nobel Mendy from set pieces, while the Red Devils failed to muster a meaningful response.

However, the main target for criticism from frustrated fans was marquee signing Youri Tielemans. The Belgian midfielder started the match and spent 67 minutes on the pitch, but he left supporters enraged due to his heavy physique, sluggishness, and lack of mobility.

Fan reactions on social media:

  • @Vararse_: "We signed Eriksen after he had clinical death, and he still moved faster than Tielemans, for crying out loud!"
  • @Ytt0201: "Seriously, you could put together the slowest team in Premier League history from players at United in the last 5-10 years."
  • @rxstyy_01: "At least we didn't overpay for Fernandes..."
  • @Eben_Ik: "Do you really think he played like this at Villa? He's clearly not ready for a starting role."
  • @Manutdfan997: "We can't have Tielemans and Bruno together. If we want to be a serious club, midfield should be Baleba - Mainoo - Tielemans."
  • @LucUnited_: "I knew he was slow, but, goodness, watching that was unbearable! Give this guy a pace rating card."

Despite the wave of criticism, Tielemans' debut stats tell a more complex story:

  • Ball work and passing: 62 accurate passes out of 70 (89% accuracy), 80 touches, 1 key pass, 12 passes into the final third, 23 forward passes, 4 backward passes, 20 accurate passes on his half, and 42 on the opponent's half, including 5 passes into the box and 1 cross.
  • Tackles and pressing: 11 turnovers, 4 tackles lost from 7 (3 won), was dribbled past twice, made 5 ball recoveries in midfield, and conceded 3 fouls.
  • Attacking contribution: 1 shot from outside the penalty area (blocked), 1 touch in the opponent's box, and 1 dribbling attempt.