Man Utd lose 0-2 to promoted Hull City, five-man defense remains Carrick's Achilles heel

Published Aug 24, 11:46 AM UTC

Manchester United suffered a 0-2 defeat to newly promoted Hull City in their Premier League opener, exposing a recurring tactical vulnerability against teams using a five-man defense. Both Hull City goals came from set pieces, which manager Michael Carrick admitted were avoidable. Hull City manager Sergi Akirovic revealed he had planned the five-man defensive system weeks in advance, using footage of AC Milan and Leeds United to prepare his team. The article notes that four of Carrick's five defeats as Manchester United manager (including pre-season) have come against teams employing a five-man defense, with the fifth defeat against Newcastle who defended deep. Players Luke Shaw and Bruno Fernandes expressed frustration, with Fernandes noting the same problems from last season persist in away games. Carrick defended his record, stating that losing one game does not mean everything is wrong, but acknowledged issues against different systems.