Hull City only scored 9 goals from set pieces in the Championship last season, in the lowest group in the league. However, the home team still pierced the net of Manchester United twice in just 21 minutes.
Oli McBurnie continuously caused difficulties for the away team's defense, while Man United's ability to defend against high balls and organize defense were both problematic.
However, the number of goals conceded does not fully reflect the biggest problem of the "Red Devils".
According to the expected goal index (xG), Hull only reached 1.01, while Man United was 1.83. The "Red Devils" launched 21 shots, more than the opponent, but 16 of them had xG below 0.1. This shows that Man United created many shots but lacked truly dangerous opportunities.
This is also not a new problem for Man United. Last season, Man United's shots from open situations only yielded an average of 0.104 xG per shot, ranking among the worst among teams in the upper half of the Premier League table. Against Hull, this number even decreased to 0.087.
It was not until the 78th minute that the red half of Manchester created a truly significant opportunity. Bryan Mbeumo received a favorable pass from Matheus Cunha but could not take advantage of it. Before that, the most notable situations belonged to Patrick Dorgu and Noussair Mazraoui. Both are capable of supporting the attack, but not yet the players who can ensure a stable source of goals.
Marcus Rashford offers another option. If he continues to stay at Old Trafford, Rashford can compete for a position with Dorgu and bring better breakthrough ability. However, Man United still needs more solutions if they want to improve their attacking power.
What is more worrying is how they deal with Hull's defense system.
Sergej Jakirovic arranged for the home team to play with 5 defenders, a system that Hull used to use in their journey to regain the right to return to the Premier League. This arrangement makes it very difficult for the "Red Devils" to find space in the center of the defense.
Hull let Man United launch 8 shots in the dangerous area, but most of them were not quality enough to put the home team's goalkeeper at real risk. Five of those eight shots came from headers, which usually have a lower probability of converting into goals.
Man United have also faced similar problems against teams using a 3- or 5-defender formation. They have only won one of their last 6 Premier League matches against opponents playing this system.
Leeds once defeated them 2-1 at Old Trafford in April with a 3-4-3 formation, then continued to draw 1-1 with Man United in a pre-season friendly match. AC Milan also used a similar system when they beat Man United 4-2 in the last pre-season friendly match.
The defeat against Hull will not simply be a slip-up on the opening day. Man United once again faced difficulties when having to penetrate a crowded defense, while the options for creating quality chances are still limited.
Carrick understands that a defeat cannot reverse the plan of the whole season. "We lost, it's very painful and it's not a pleasant feeling. But that doesn't mean everything will change completely" - he said.
However, Man United cannot maintain this playing style if they want to compete in the top group. The mistakes in set pieces can be overcome, but the bigger problem lies in the attack. Carrick needs to help the team create more quality opportunities, instead of just increasing the number of shots.
