Manchester United will start the new season with two matches against Hull City and Ipswich Town - teams that have just won the right to return to the Premier League.
Coach Michael Carrick does not think this is a favorable schedule, and warned the team to prepare carefully for the challenges right from the first rounds.
After the away match at Hull's stadium, Man United will return to Old Trafford to host Ipswich. These are all newly promoted opponents, but they are not easily defeated because of that. Carrick believes that the perception that Man United has an advantage when facing these two teams continuously is unrealistic.
That's not beneficial. Saying that is easy, but it sounds ridiculous" - Carrick shared when asked about the schedule. The English coach emphasized that he still clearly remembers what the team has gone through and understands that the first two rounds will bring no small pressure.
Premier League history also shows that Man United has had difficulties in facing two newly promoted teams in the opening 2 matches. In the previous two times, they could not win both matches.
In the 2001-2002 season, the "Red Devils" defeated Fulham 3-2 but were then held to a 2-2 draw by Blackburn. 8 years later, they surpassed Birmingham City thanks to Wayne Rooney's goal before losing 0-1 at Burnley's home ground. Notably, Burnley at that time also returned to the Premier League through the play-off round, similar to the current Hull City.
The last time Man United won two victories in the first two rounds was in the 2017-2018 season under Jose Mourinho. At that time, they successively defeated West Ham and Swansea with the same score of 4-0.
Besides the schedule, Carrick also has to solve the personnel problem. Man United has just added Youri Tielemans from Aston Villa and Andrey Santos from Chelsea. After that, they continued negotiations with Brighton about Carlos Baleba but have not reached an agreement.
The left-back position is also a matter of concern. Luke Shaw is currently the only pure left-back in the squad, while the English player's ability to maintain fitness is still not absolutely guaranteed.
In fact, Man United completing deals at the end of the transfer window is not uncommon. In the last 6 seasons, at least one player has joined Old Trafford when the transfer market is about to close.
In the summer of 2025, goalkeeper Senne Lammens joined Man United from Royal Antwerp for £18.1 million on the last day. A year earlier, the Manchester team spent £50.8 million for Manuel Ugarte from PSG. Before that, Sergio Reguilon and Sofyan Amrabat both came on loan in the last days of the transfer window.
Antony was also completed by Man United on September 1, 2022 for a fee of £81.3 million. This is still the second most expensive deal in club history, only after Paul Pogba.
However, Man United's late transfer history also has memorable lessons. Cristiano Ronaldo returned to Old Trafford in 2021 in a big deal, but expectations for CR7 and the final team did not come true. Casemiro and Antony are also contracts completed after difficult initial periods.
Therefore, Man United fans may need to be more patient with this summer transfer plan. Carrick and the board still have time to add personnel, but the important thing is that the new players must really suit the needs of the team.
