Hull assistant head coach Dean Holden appeared on the Monday Night Club and outlined their Premier League game plan in impressive detail. Expect them to be nasty opponents, unafraid to play long and direct when required.
With their opener at home, taking something off Manchester United — a club Holden openly admires — could set the tone for their entire campaign.
Hull should be feisty and hard-working, but a concern lingers: last season they were beaten in roughly a third of their Championship matches.
Sergej Jakirovic’s turnaround — from 21st to the play-offs and then promotion — is an extraordinary story. The next challenge is survival, which will be a huge ask.
United haven’t been especially busy in the market, but Youri Tielemans feels a smart, low-risk addition — in the same vein as last year’s successful moves for Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo.
The Champions League will stretch them, and it feels like Carrick over-delivered to get them there in the first place.
Expectations have soared after finishing third, but they’re still a long way off Arsenal right now.
Having European football while Tottenham and Chelsea don’t could shape the season significantly — it’s why I left United out of my top four.
They should start with a win, but this is the beginning of a relentless schedule, and they’ll need more depth.
Sutton’s prediction: 1-2
Liam’s prediction: Hull’s party atmosphere might actually suit us. I want us to pick up where we left off last season. I was going to say 2-0, but that sounds too safe — so I’ll go bigger. 0-3
Liam on Marcus Rashford’s future at United: I love Marcus — he’s one of our own — and I’d love to see him back to his best. We all know how good he can be, and if anyone at United can unlock that, it’s Michael Carrick. He might know exactly what Marcus needs.
It’s like stepping on stage for a hometown show — I know that feeling. If I were Marcus, I’d be thinking, “I’m going to make this work,” because the payoff could be so special. I desperately want it to happen, but I’m not sure it will.
AI’s prediction: 1-3