It’s late August. There are 37 Premier League games to go, 111 points to play for and three cup competitions yet to even begin. And yet, seldom has the collective hope of United supporters taken such a gut punch so early in a campaign.

To put things in context, this was the Reds’ 35th opening day of the Premier League era. During that time, 22 seasons have started with wins, just four with draws and this was the ninth term to open with a loss.

But there are defeats and then there are defeats. There has usually been a level of mitigation – in 1992/93, the hangover from the previous term’s title collapse made sense in the aftermath of an August loss at Bramall Lane. Three years on, a fresh-faced team was sliced apart at Villa Park after a summer of high-profile sales. In 2014 and 2022, United were under new managers enacting new systems. In 2020, as Project Restart prompted restarts for different clubs at different times, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side opened against a Crystal Palace side playing their third competitive game of the season and, predictably, the visitors ran amok.

Injuries and absences can also bite. United’s backline was ravaged ahead of away reverses at Chelsea (2004) and Everton (2012), games in which patchwork central defences included Roy Keane and Michael Carrick respectively.

Even last summer, for all the hope that had built around Ruben Amorim finally getting his squad on the training pitch for a sustained spell, the post-match mood remained upbeat despite a 1-0 Old Trafford defeat to Arsenal. United had played well and should have beaten the eventual champions. The game had been preceded by almost total uncertainty, given the sense that Amorim’s evolution was a long-haul process.

This time around, however, was supposed to be different. Stability and reliability had been the themes of Carrick’s interim tenure, United had finished last season as the Premier League’s form team of 2026, while pre-season had been largely encouraging. The staggered return of players from this summer’s World Cup was a consideration, but wasn’t being waved around in advance as a pre-emptive excuse.

Defeat at the MKM Stadium was wrought by two set-pieces, but forged by a combination of Hull’s ferocious approach and United’s clear lack of sharpness in key areas. At face value, it’s an easy sell as the Reds’ worst-ever start to a Premier League season: equal-highest margin of defeat, first opening-day defeat to a promoted team, emotionally a major anticlimax and, as Michael Carrick’s post-match demeanour demonstrated, across the board it was not the standard that had been set, either in pre-season, last season or in the bar-setting seasons of yesteryear.

Behind the scenes at Carrington, sources were quick to confirm that the manner of the defeat had stunned the training ground. While travelling to a newly promoted team on the opening day of the campaign is always fraught with peril, the listless quality of United’s play had been at odds with the previous week’s preparatory work. Nobody saw it coming.

Which is why this week has carried a mood of quiet determination. Rather than dwell on every little thing that went wrong – “it’s hard to think of anything that went right,” says one source – the focus has been on belatedly getting the campaign off and running this weekend. Again, it’s freshly promoted opposition as Gary O’Neil’s Ipswich Town pitch up at Old Trafford, but there is an awareness internally of how last weekend’s defeat was perceived. For the manager to face post-match questions about a lack of passion in the team’s approach, on day one of the season, did not go unnoticed.

With pride collectively wounded, more minutes in the legs and more than one point to prove, we can, at the very least, expect a front-foot start at Old Trafford on Sunday.

Ipswich have “nothing to lose”

United go into Sunday’s game three points behind their opponents, following Ipswich’s 2-1 home win over Sunderland at Portman Road on the opening day.

Tractor Boys legend Craig Forrest, best known in United circles for keeping goal during the Reds’ 9-0 Premier League record win over Ipswich in 1995, looked ahead to Sunday’s game...

Hitting back

Newton’s third law – clunkily paraphrased – states that, for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. If that holds up, we can expect a hell of a performance from Michael Carrick’s side on Sunday.

But what does history tell us?

For starters, if we zoom out, there is the statistical curio that every time United have been beaten on the opening day of the Premier League season, they have gone on to secure at least Champions League qualification. That run dates back to the very first day of the division in 1992 and extends right up to last term.

Yet, if we focus on the immediate aftermath of each defeat, only four of the eight were immediately followed by wins in the second game. Here’s the full run-through of United’s Premier League-era reactions to an opening-day defeat...

1992/93 | Finished 1st
Opener: Sheffield United (away), lost 1-2
Next result: United 0 Everton 3
Still shell-shocked from the heartbreaking manner of the previous season’s title collapse, United rocked up at an eerie Old Trafford, where the Stretford End was being rebuilt, and were repeatedly undone by the visitors on the counter-attack. Respite didn’t even arrive in the third game of the season, as the Reds needed a Denis Irwin rocket to nab a home draw with Ipswich. It seemed certain that the run was going to continue in United’s fourth fixture, a Monday Night Football debut at Southampton, only for substitute Dion Dublin to stab home a last-minute winner and belatedly get the Reds off and running.

1995/96 | Finished 1st
Opener: Aston Villa (away), lost 1-3
Next result: United 2 West Ham 1
Four days after United’s opening day pummelling at Aston Villa, kitman Albert Morgan was aghast. “You’re not picking the same players,” he said, incredulously, when informed of the United side to face West Ham. “You just put the f***ing kit out,” came Alex Ferguson’s immediate riposte. The Scot technically didn’t reprise his opening-day XI – Steve Bruce replaced Paul Parker and David Beckham came in for Phil Neville – but Morgan’s sentiment was widely shared. The kids who had been so humbled at Villa Park came good, however, as Roy Keane (24) and Paul Scholes (20) struck second-half efforts to kick-start English football’s first Double Double.

2004/05 | Finished 3rd
Opener: Chelsea (away), lost 0-1
Next result: United 2 Norwich City 1
Bereft of the suspended Rio Ferdinand and injured strikers Ruud van Nistelrooy and Louis Saha, with Roy Keane deployed as an emergency centre-back, United deserved credit for putting up a solid showing in a narrow defeat against Jose Mourinho’s Blues. At the second time of asking, promoted Norwich were just about eased aside by another makeshift Reds team, as Alan Smith assisted David Bellion’s opener and volleyed home a stunning second-half winner.

2012/13 | Finished 1st
Opener: Everton (away), lost 0-1
Next result: United 3 Fulham 2
After a summer of international commitments, United returned to domestic action with players at various stages of readiness. Once again, a defence ravaged by injuries meant Michael Carrick and Antonio Valencia – at that stage still a winger – had to slot into the back four on a raucous night at Goodison. Second time out, however, Sir Alex’s side showed their spirit to recover from Damien Duff’s early opener for Fulham at Old Trafford, building a 3-1 lead by the break via maiden goals for Robin van Persie and Shinji Kagawa, plus a rare header for Rafael.

2014/15 | Finished 4th
Opener: Swansea City (home), lost 1-2
Next result: Sunderland 1 United 1
In the second post-Ferguson season, United’s slide continued into the opening day, hastened by another change in management and a lengthy injury list. A deflating opener against Swansea prompted new manager Louis van Gaal, after one game, to concede that it would require “a miracle” to win the title. That was underlined by an uninspiring draw at the Stadium of Light, where Juan Mata’s close-range opener was cancelled out by a Jack Rodwell header. A subsequent draw at Burnley meant that van Gaal didn’t pick up his first competitive win until his fourth game in charge, as QPR were swept aside 4-0 at Old Trafford.

2020/21 | Finished 2nd
Opener: Crystal Palace (home), lost 1-3
Next result: Brighton & Hove Albion 2 United 3
“They were sharper than us. We’re playing catch-up,” said Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, after his side was comfortably beaten by Crystal Palace on the Reds’ opening night of the Covid-delayed 2020/21 term. Next time out, however, United were substantially sharper at the Amex Stadium. Coming from behind, Solskjaer’s side moved ahead through Marcus Rashford’s solo effort, seemed to have blown it when Solly March levelled in the 95th minute and yet, somehow, time remained for VAR to award a penalty after the final whistle, which Bruno Fernandes converted with the final kick of the game.

2022/23 | Finished 3rd
Opener: Brighton & Hove Albion (home), lost 1-2
Next result: Brentford 4 United 0
Murmurs of disappointment after the season-opening home loss to Brighton became a chorus of anguish after the second game of Erik ten Hag’s reign. On a scorching-hot London day, it took the Bees just 35 minutes to roar into a four-goal lead, humiliating the lime-green-clad United and sending the club into a state of panic. The boardroom reaction was swift and decisive: Casemiro was brought in at huge expense and unveiled at the Reds’ third game, as Liverpool were overpowered 2-1 on a night of Old Trafford bedlam to finally get the Ten Hag era underway.

2025/26 | Finished 3rd
Opener: Arsenal (home), lost 0-1
Next result: Fulham 1 United 1
Such was the positive nature of last season’s opener that, despite United’s single-goal defeat to Arsenal, former skipper Roy Keane scoffed post-match: “Expectations are so low, they’re almost happy.” That relative feel-good factor lasted just a week, however, following a 1-1 draw at Fulham on matchday two, in which errant finishing and Emile Smith Rowe’s second-half equaliser combined to leave the Reds on just one point after two games. It would have been just two points from three games, but United’s first win of the campaign, over Burnley at Old Trafford, was secured at the death by Bruno Fernandes’ injury-time penalty.

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You can also read last week’s opener, “The calm in the storm”, here.

In the bowels of San Siro early last Saturday evening, members of the Manchester press pack were briefly reunited with Ruben Amorim. Upon recognising BBC stalwart Simon Stone, the Portuguese enquired, with a smile: “You miss me?”

“We miss your press conferences,” came the retort from the huddle.

A pause.

“Yeah... more boring now,” laughed Amorim, sparking a nanosecond of guffaws and, for just a moment, they were all in Carrington together again, phones poised on the Portuguese’s desk, just waiting to collect the gold gushing from his mouth.

And then, with the trademark smile, a Clint Eastwood point to the camera and a couple more selfies with his Milanese public, Amorim was gone, bedecked in all-black, seemingly destined for the nearest fashion runway.

For those who remained, the dopamine hit lasted for just a couple of moments.

And then, back to reality.

Michael Carrick’s performance to date as Manchester United manager has made working life somewhat less thrilling for the media charged with covering the club day in, day out.

That doesn’t tend to sit well for particularly long when there is an incessant demand for new information about United. Press relations can become important. Back in 2022, I spoke with a decorated journalist shortly after Erik ten Hag’s second game - the 4-0 rinsing at Brentford - and he made one thing very clear: if the Dutchman didn’t quickly produce results and performances, the knives would be out swiftly because, as he put it: “he gives us nothing.”

In that sense, Amorim was a tough act to follow for Carrick.

“Ruben was box-office,” says one member of the Manchester-based media, speaking anonymously to preserve relationships. “You went into every press conference with the expectation of getting something interesting. More often than not you did – sometimes it was bigger than you could ever have imagined, whether it was publicly acknowledging relegation as a threat, calling his team the worst United team ever or whatever. He knew his words carried weight, that he was giving us headlines, because he actually said as much!”

It was with that knowledge that Amorim precipitated the end of his time in charge, dropping grenades in his final two press conferences before and after January’s draw at Leeds and letting the blast engulf him.

For clarity, it cannot be stressed enough that the Portuguese did some excellent work behind the scenes. In the tangible, public-facing aspects of his role, however, there were three main areas: results, performances and PR. Amorim’s ability to enrapture the media bought him at least some time while he oversaw results which, Europa League apart, yielded a 28 per cent win rate over 14 months. There was no small irony, therefore, that his actions in the press room – the scene of his most convincing performances – ultimately detonated his reign.

While good PR can buy time, results - ahead of performances - are what make or break a manager’s tenure. Installed as Amorim’s interim replacement, Carrick oversaw a sprint finish to the 2025/26 season in which he won over 70 per cent of his games. Had that impact been lesser, had United not secured Champions League qualification, other options would have undoubtedly been courted. His work made it extremely difficult for the club’s ownership to take a different route.

All of which spells bad news for the headline writers, but good news for United.

What this club has needed for a number of years is a couple of quiet years. Completely discounting on-field performances and individual player issues, the post-Ferguson batshit randomiser has spat out plenty, including these beauties...

- The club releasing a newsletter which included the headline New Order, then removing it when complaints were made that the design resembled a swastika.

- A massive cyber attack which put the club offline internally for over a week.

- Raw chicken served to guests at the North West Safety Health Environment Show, causing Old Trafford’s hygiene rating to slip from five to one.

- The team getting stuck in traffic and turning up late to our own Champions League home tie in successive games.

- A Premier League game abandoned because a fake bomb used in a security exercise had accidentally been left inside Old Trafford.

And that’s discounting Old Trafford’s constant leaks - roof and teamsheet - the frequent rodent invasions and all the usual issues fuelling constant supporter unrest.

It’s hard to think of another club in the world so frequently consumed by this kind of random insanity.

There are still countless issues to resolve – not least with supporters – all of which require time and concerted effort, but the mentality around United has always been that doing well on the pitch lifts pressure in all other areas. In those terms, the outlook is somewhat rosier going into the new season. Moreover, for the first time in five years, it’s underpinned by more than just hope. There’s a body of work there which has caught the eye within football – not least among United’s former staff.

“I said at the time when Michael came in and I’ve said it a number of times, it wouldn’t take much to fix it,” says ex-United coach Rene Meulensteen. “What he did, first and foremost, he obviously changed the system to suit the players and played players in their best positions. That was the first and main thing.

“Then I think his messaging has been very clear and concise in terms of the non-negotiables, in terms of what he expects from the team from a defensive point of view and what he expects from a behavioural point of view, in terms of your work rate. The non-negotiables are what you live or die by. The moment that people start to not live them day by day and they start to manipulate them in the wrong way, then you’re basically on the way to destruction. He re-established that.

“And then also, number three, give the players again the freedom to express themselves in the front part of the pitch. Do what you’re good at. And the last thing is: let’s be clinical in front of goal. Make sure that we start scoring goals again. It’s all good and well to be great in the creative phase, but not if you’re not relentless in the finishing phase.

“He’s re-established again, a little bit, that winning mentality that Manchester United was known for. I do think that in the later parts of last season, if you had asked the players [before a game] then they would probably all say: Yeah, we’re going to win because of the previous performances and the results back that up.

“That is massive, to put those four things back in place. Now he has to build on those four things coming into the new season because it’s a different kettle of fish. When Michael came in, I think it worked for him that he didn’t have the Champions League and other cup competitions to worry about. Those are the challenges he’s going to face now, when all those games kick in, because then you get a completely different routine. It’s not always easy, but I think he’s put this team, this crop of players, in good stead. And the key is now to keep building and keep moving forward.”

There is an acknowledgement of the long road ahead and the work still to do, but there is also a sense of calm assurance inside Carrington. While half the Premier League steps forward under new management, unsure of the path forward, United have an appropriate direction of travel and growing sense of surefootedness.

Carrick’s stock inside Carrington is currently very high. Aided and abetted by a coaching staff who quickly gained the squad’s respect, the cultural shifts started under Amorim have been accelerated. While the Portuguese, it could be argued, took too long-term a view with many of his actions, planning for the distant future instead of giving his full attention to present-day troubles, Carrick has picked up where Amorim left off and scored some easy wins.

Embracing the club’s Academy system and being visible at youth team games helped to ease a growing sense of worry that Kobbie Mainoo’s exclusion was symptomatic of wider disregard for tradition. All squad players have also been made to feel included and relevant. Benjamin Sesko and Ayden Heaven were just two unused substitutes to be consoled by their manager in the immediate on-field aftermath of victories last season. Carrick is unmistakably a people person who understands the value of making people feel valued.

The same extends to former staff. Former players were always able to visit Carrington under Amorim and his predecessors; Carrick has gone further, making former colleagues from the staff aware that they can always call the place home. At a time when staff morale had been subjected to repeated gut punches, he is a visible, approachable presence.

“Michael’s come in just at the right time because sometimes you need a culture shift,” says a club source. “Obviously we did that, shifting away from Erik ten Hag to Ruben. Whether that worked or not is up for debate, but where we are now is a solid ground to build on.

“I think anybody who knows Michael just respects him as the man he is and for the career he’s had. He has a calmness and wisdom about him. If you’ve worked with him when he was a player, a coach under previous managers or now that he’s a manager himself, you’ve seen his quality and his eye for detail. His man-management is higher than most, with his ability to connect with the players and speak to them and be willing to share ideas. That’s maybe what the modern-day manager has to be.”

In the surest sign yet that United have been claimed by the modern game, Amazon’s All or Nothing began filming daily life around the club this month to capture all the action behind the scenes. Having come so close to being embedded in Amorim’s world a year ago, they are now a fly on the wall in an altogether drabber universe. Andy Warhol’s Sleep, rather than the Nightmare on Elm Street they were shooting for.

Carrick has previously described himself as “quite a reserved character,” while insisting: “I never went into it for the headlines or attention.”

There is a counter-narrative quietly bubbling away that Carrick’s lack of theatricality and wild gesticulations denotes an absence of some managerial X-factor. After years of Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp producing performative histrionics while hoovering up silverware, it’s an understandable position. Throw Antonio Conte and Mikel Arteta into the mix and, among recent Premier League-winning managers, Arne Slot was arguably the only one without an eye on where the cameras were.

There are quiet, understated characters who have shown it can be done. Claudio Ranieri, Manuel Pellegrini, Carlo Ancelotti. Yet, just this week, Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher opined: “I personally just don’t think Carrick’s got that stardust as a manager to win a Champions League or a Premier League.”

The nebulous notion of stardust, an X-factor or just good old-fashioned ‘it’ risks missing a more prosaic point: function. Having met with him and worked with him during the opening few months of his tenure, I was almost certain that Amorim had that stardust twinkling away in his eyes. The way he spoke of a long-term future at the club, of driving standards, of everyone pulling together, it was all seductive. I wasn’t alone internally in having that view. And yet his term lasted only 14 months because he was unable to make his team function consistently.

It is also worth stressing that there is an edge to Carrick which goes unreported. In his playing days, interviewers knew to tread carefully with questions, lest they provoke a half-frown and an expression which suggested there might be trouble ahead. He suffers no fools.

Even now, there is a side to him which is kept away from the public domain.

While he kept a lid on his ire after his first taste of defeat as United manager back in March, when 10-man Newcastle nabbed a late victory at St James’ Park, Carrick made his feelings acutely known behind the scenes. Casemiro later reflected: “He killed us with class,” whereas one source on the playing staff – who had played under multiple United managers – was a little more expansive. “The biggest bollocking I’ve had here,” was his take, after the boyhood Toon supporter took unkindly to the manner of his first reverse as United boss.

_{Henry Winter, ghost-writer of Carrick’s autobiography.}

United’s season starts with a trip to Hull City on Saturday which has too readily been categorised as a gimme for the Reds. An early kick-off, away to a promoted side packed with new signings, reeks of danger in its timing. United are the better-known quantity, making it easier for the hosts to prepare.

Just run the outcomes. If United win and start the season in the same vein as last term ended, they will spend the first clear midweek being spoken about as possible title contenders. Fail to win and there will be a near-apocalyptic reaction, primarily online, where the monetisation of opinion has prompted hotter and hotter takes bereft of anything beyond the motive to provoke.

However the 90 minutes pan out, those up in the MKM Stadium’s press box will trudge down to their post-match conference, knowing in advance that there will be no tempest. While the storm rages perennially around Manchester United, they will be meeting the man at the calm centre of it all.

Nik Storey’s Tactical View

PRESSING MATTERS & CARRICK RELATIONISM

In an age of highly sophisticated pressing, United’s approach has often seemed muddled, incoherent and half-hearted. Michael Carrick and his staff made inroads in that area almost straight away and have used their first pre-season to experiment further. Analyst Nik Storey (X: @nikstorey_) tells us what he’s seen and speculates as to the impact of Carlos Baleba’s impending arrival on this new approach...

This summer, Michael Carrick, Steve Holland and company have sought to tweak a pressing system that, for the most part, was working well. From their interim arrival in January onwards, we saw a 4-2-1-3 standard press, often portrayed as a 3-4-3 with Luke Shaw or Diogo Dalot on the second line. This generally reverted to a 4-4-2 mid-block in the second phase, with Bruno Fernandes staying high with the #9. And although the approach reared its head again at times during pre-season, specifically against Leeds (1-1) and Rosenborg (5-0), we also saw something new: a 4-2-4 high block.

This was the case against a back three on two occasions, with the aim of drawing in the opposition wing-back and creating a two-v-two situation in the middle of the park, should the opponent play through. However, the new press was also evident against a back four, where either Youri Tielemans or Tyler Fletcher were asked to provide additional support high - and this was the interesting tweak that raises certain questions for the United approach come the start of the season this weekend.

So, why the tweak? There seems to be an evolution in style by Carrick (a highly reflective coach, and a good sign!), looking to retain possession high up the field and trying to gain more control of the football - something we spoke about a lot last season on the United! United! United! podcast. This is what a well drilled 4-2-4 can attain and it is almost certainly tailored to the Reds’ central midfield recruitment this summer. Now that Carlos Baleba is confirmed (barring a failed medical), we have complimentary profiles and, moreover, a system that won’t simply rely on vertical and transitional football. Casemiro’s looping long range passes into the half spaces are no more.

In seeking to intercept the ball higher up the field and using astute positional dominance to provide the creativity, there is a sense that a new focus is coming: ‘Carrick relationism’. This shift in in-possession ethos potentially relates not only to control but also acknowledges the lack of central attacking outlets and capability of the current squad. Benjamin Sesko in his present developmental state cannot be expected to lead the line alone for a club with lofty ambitions, after all - and it is clear that United need another #9 – so now we may see superior numbers on the final line, inter-positionality and lots of emphasis on through balls and crossing from the pockets.

In essence, we saw in preseason a high zonal press in the first phase, followed by a man-to-man in the mid-zone. When we retain the ball it is something of a 3-1-6 (or 2-1-3-4) in possession with Andrey Santos (and Tielemens at times) seeking to drop between wide centre-backs in possession and playing quick line breaking passes forward; but with these passes played into a higher pivot where Bruno Fernandes and Kobbie Mainoo, for example, will split - and this seems planned and deliberate. As mentioned, there is an indication that Carrick no longer wants to rely on transition threat alone. The lack of retention by the #9 has also contributed to this decision. Based on what we saw in his first season, Sesko has not held it up as well as we might’ve required (though that is coming along) and Bryan Mbeumo isn’t a classic #9 – he’s very ordinary with his back to goal and often rushes the build, and a player that certainly prefers to be last line and receiving at pace. The principle of up back and through (the direct version) appears to be more difficult to attain because of these struggles in the last line and perhaps hence the iteration.

So, this will represent a principle of shared attacking solutions, with multiple central runners on the last line rather than the standard 4-2-3-1; evident for example in Patrick Dorgu’s central presence and lack of defensive duties once relieved of possession; the Dane oftentimes this summer pinning the centre back and finding himself in 1-to-1 scenarios and bearing down on goal. Likewise, Shea Lacey’s presence centrally (at #10 and #9) in two games was telling. It has been logical to utilise Mbeumo in these areas, a position he knows well, but the intriguing use of the youngster here may be informative. Again, relationism comes to the fore and it was pleasing to see the interchange between Lacey, Mbeumo, Dorgu and Amad, with Bruno in support and often taking the opportunity to run in behind after the trigger pass.

This is where Baleba can help, too. Outstanding in the jump and with agility in abundance, he can press high and above Santos. More than just a ‘ground covering’ midfielder, he secures the ball from deep positions and carries at pace through the press - and crucially he remains high to offer creative solutions also. These latter two aspects of his game are underrated, and Reds may be content to know that his fearless attacking instincts from deep could revolutionise our approach. He is perhaps more a box-to-box #8 than a #6 because of the areas he ends up in; and his mid-long-range passing is superior to his short passing game (from deep for example).

This shift also has implications for Bruno’s role. He may no longer be needed to play fast and vertical or be switching the play on the diagonal from too deep in the field. He may find himself shifted to the right side in the 4-2-3-1 template in certain games where all three of the new midfield recruits start the game – and the half space here is where I personally find him most effective at this stage in his career. There is also now an explicit case for 4-3-3, particularly in Europe. Santos or Baleba can sit in, with Mainoo and Baleba (again) options to the left and Tielemans and Bruno options to the right of the pivot. Cunha can support left to centre.

Both of these formations will add more patience to our play and that is where a triumvirate of Bruno, Tielemans and Mainoo in particular can add control and panache, pushing the captain a little higher and wider. After the former Villa player’s debut I said on the podcast that Bruno had a new ‘dance partner’, and though it was a satirical take, it has perhaps given us an insight into the thinking of the coaching staff. Yes, both are ageing, but if both can keep distances correct and play in close proximity, keeping the ball high, secure and sometimes flat this will offer that control. The plan appears to be patience and full-backs pinning their direct opponents (hence the #6 dropping back onto the last line) and awaiting the interior runs from our wide men or Bruno. This nuanced awareness of space available to the nearest player - or relationism - looks to be crucial to the new system.

Pre-season issues

Back to the high press we saw this summer.

The key with the 4-2-4 is that everyone must lock on man-to-man after the first pressing player trigger and do so with intensity (and synchrony) with correct triggers. On that front, pre-season was a mixed bag. We saw it actioned well against Atletico Madrid and PSG, but emphatically not against AC Milan where there was a jaded feeling about the press and performance. It is part of the reason the gaffer now seems to prefer Dorgu as a left-winger as opposed to left-back. He can invert to the opposition’s centre-back when their goalkeeper plays out from the back. He has the physicality and speed. Likewise, Amad and Lacey were seen doing so from right to centre. They possess agility and pressing nous ‘inside’ and both have the unique ability to nick the loose ball. Personally, I’d still like to see Mbeumo come off that right flank a lot more because he presses better than the other two in general at present, but that will depend on Sesko’s availability, ongoing development and our potential dip into the striker market late on. A profile like Eli-Junior Kroupi, by the way, would take this squad to new levels in this department.

This summer saw Mbeumo pressing the ball ‘first’, while Bruno was monitoring the opposing #6. While it worked well for the most part, it hasn’t been as fluid as the 4-4-2 mid-block from last season. As above, it was interesting to see Lacey perform Bruno’s role in and out of possession for two of the games prior to the skipper’s return. What does this *potential* new role for the youngster signal for the press strategy? Carrick has clearly seen something promising, and he might well be on to something. His pressing is beyond his years from central areas and when he gets on the ball, he is probing and direct – and rarely loses it. It does seem to make sense given the options on the right with Amad and Mbeumo. Expect Lacey to fulfil both roles at times this season, and who would have thought that just six months ago?

During the periods when we were easily played through (PSG for 25 minutes, Leeds for 20 minutes in the second half and AC Milan for the entirety of a wretched afternoon), we didn’t seem confident enough to follow the plan through. The plan for our double pivot and defensive line was unsure or confused. So, the main issue with the new press is not the high block; but instead the secondary movements in-behind. What are the roles for Tielemans, Mainoo, Santos and now Baleba? Should Mainoo or Baleba push high on the #6 and pull Shaw or Heaven into the centre of the park in-behind? This may happen when the wide centre-back of the opponent plays directly into a winger or the #8, for example.

It is also worth noting that such a strategy must be enacted by the fittest and most in-form players available. That clearly wasn’t the case in the last two games of pre-season, with Noussair Mazraoui, Martinez, Maguire and Mbeumo off the pace - at least in the out of possession aspect - and that is why I wasn’t too concerned with that final outing of the tour. Baleba’s ground coverage and anticipation – and getting his body in with the ground duel – will help tremendously.

Matheus Cunha presses astutely but Dorgu’s new role (and superior match fitness at present) is working well and his energy will be needed left to centre. Cunha was arguably our most in-form player to the latter end of the season, so I expect him to be crucial once again. With a lack of striking prowess in the ranks and the continuing absence of Sesko, will we see more of Cunha at centre-forward and false 9? Lacey in close attendance would make an attractive combination in a two. Mbeumo will likely start against Hull at #9 however, but as the season gears up and the Manchester derby arrives four games into the campaign, this will be something to consider. Likewise, Mainoo presses the ball well and is an astute carrier through the press, so his match fitness will be pivotal. For all Heaven’s positional errors and rashness at times, he has the chance to cement the left centre-back position in the early season, with Martinez understandably not sharp enough at present. Can Ayden use his good agility and speed to ‘jump’ on the opponent #8 or #10 with the 4-2-4? Where does Santos perform best out of possession? I’d proffer the interior movement of a wide #7 should be his focus if indeed Heaven can take the #8 from him.

Conclusion & Diamond Press

Overall, it wasn’t a convincing strategy across the entirety of pre-season so thought must be given to the adoption of 3-4-3/4-2-1-3 at times. One might even suggest a hybrid of both, so something of a 4-4-2 diamond, particularly against the more possession-based teams. A narrow diamond can work for United again and still offer a spare man when the opposition is playing out.

What does this look like? Sesko and Bruno can press centrally and highest; Cunha or Dorgu invert from left into the double pivot; Amad or Mbeumo will do likewise if the play is switched - and Mainoo or Baleba staying high on the #6 with Santos or Tielemans vertically behind and prepared to shuffle left or right to watch runners and the opposition #10.

With Harry Maguire and Leny Yoro mainly used as sweeper profiles, Ayden Heaven and Lisandro Martinez can support Santos and/or Baleba to lock onto the double pivot, but this comes with risk. Even so, Carrick has laid down his marker this summer with regards the high-risk approach in the high line and man-to-man edict, so now we have to perfect it.

Profile selection will ultimately dictate the press strategy. Baleba’s impending procurement certainly gives us greater balance here and gives us that vital energy at #6 and #8 that appeared lacking with the current three options. His ability to turn in tight scenarios and carry or switch play will be vital to Carrick’s new system. He plays box-to-box well and this could mean, for example, Tielemans sitting in the #6. The mix of profiles in midfield now suit Carrick’s onus on short passing sequences (and seems highly pre-determined, offering only the weakness of ‘height’) and line breaking capability for central progressions, without compromising defensive shape when possession is lost.

There are always questions, of course, and at this stage, before a ball has been kicked in competitive anger, the wider questions seem to be these:

What does the new makeup in central midfield mean for our in-possession and out-of-possession strategies if the 4-2-4 press is to be adopted? Can we tweak to the 4-4-2 ‘diamond’, most likely in the Champions League? In possession, will we see a 4-3-3 in certain matches? Which are the combinations to use in Europe and top Premier League games and how will Carrick rotate? Will we see three of the four central-midfielders play in certain games where control is required, alongside Bruno? This will mean only one starter from Dorgu, Cunha, Mbeumo, Lacey, Amad and Rashford. How often will Cunha play centrally (with Lacey in close proximity as a mouth watering prospect)? And finally, what does this mean for our use of full-backs? Holding width, sure, in the coveted 3-1-6 template; but expect lots of underlapping and decoy runs this term and a mega emphasis on Carrick relationism.

There are some big decisions to make and interesting times ahead at a resurgent United…

Thanks for reading Not Arrogant, Just Better. If you enjoyed this edition, please consider sharing it with another United supporter — it makes a huge difference while the publication is getting started.

Tactical analysis: Nik Storey (X: @nikstorey_)
Additional video: Henry Winter (X: @henrywinter)

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For me, the summer of 2025 marked the end of almost 22 years at Manchester United, having joined the club’s media department as a journalism graduate before rising through the ranks at the rate of glacial flow to the role of features editor.

As a boyhood United fan whose only skill was writing, I always regarded the job as an honour. The pressure was high but the privilege was enormous. Travelling on European away trips with the team, interviewing the great and good, ghost-writing the programme notes of every successor to Sir Alex Ferguson... it was certainly better than having a real job.

Let me be clear from the outset: my departure isn’t a tale of woe. I wasn’t one of those left devastated by their sudden departure in the 2024 and 2025 waves of redundancies. I decided to take on a new challenge and start my own United-based media brand. It was hardly a violent career pivot, either: stop writing about United, just chat about them on YouTube.

Nevertheless, in the interest of transparency, I’ll confess that it’s a decision I have frequently regretted during the last year. After two decades of toeing the line and following orders, rocking up to interviews with a set of questions and sashaying away carefree post-shoot, it was a culture shock to suddenly be responsible for every single aspect of every single production. Life, as it does, found a way to throw in some curveballs, not least some inexplicable technical issues and, most joyously of all, the hacking and theft of my long-established Twitter account which had been my only marketing tool.

And yet, this week, the channel (United! United! United!) passed one million views, a fortnight ahead of its first anniversary. In the process, it has topped 70,000 viewing hours. Earlier this year, it launched on Spotify. We have TikTok, rightly or wrongly. What was a printed backdrop on the kitchen wall is now a neon sign in a converted office. Progress hasn’t been pretty, but it has been made.

I’ve been able to rely upon the seemingly limitless goodwill of a huge number of people during that year, giving up their time for free, and the result is a growing brand of which I’m pretty proud. I owe a genuine debt of thanks to the subscribers, those who have constantly provided feedback and stuck out the days of tinny sound and laughable production skills.

The same goes to the guests who quickly set the channel apart. The contacts book built over two decades in the industry has been beyond handy. If I don’t know someone directly, I know someone who knows them. That’s how I’ve managed to coax on over 100 guests in the first year, from playing legends like Bryan Robson or Jaap Stam, to members of Sir Alex’s backroom staff and some of the very best football journalists in the business.

While I allow myself a sliver of pride for how the brand has grown from its inception, however, I can’t escape the fact that I’ve missed writing. A great deal.

And, in those times when I looked back longingly at my old comfort zone, there was a lot to catch my eye: the routine; the structure; actual money. But what held my gaze most intently was the keyboard. The blank Word file. The flashing cursor.

So, here we are. You’ve figured the rest.

United! United! United! will continue apace on YouTube and audio platforms. Here, I’ll do all the things that work better off-camera and allow the depth of content that doesn’t always translate to YouTube. Long-reads, detailed interviews, bits of nostalgia but also newsy snippets from inside Carrington and Old Trafford today. I’ll combine my experience, insight and contacts to bring the United fanbase the level of written content it deserves.

With United, there’s always a story. Now seems as good a time as any to start telling them.

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