'We want to be excited': how Carrick's Man Utd are shaping up for the Premier League season

"First and foremost, we want to win," said Michael Carrick when asked what style of football he wanted his Manchester United team to play. "But we want to be excited. That's why we love this club. I'm fully aware that we need to do it in a certain way."

Before United kick off their Premier League season at Hull City on Saturday (12.30pm), BBC Sport's tactics correspondent Umir Irfan has broken down what pre-season tells us about how Carrick's side will play.

How are they building from the back?

Carrick has reversed Ruben Amorim's approach of encouraging Senne Lammens to go long. Instead, United play short from goal-kicks in a 4-2-4 shape, with Lammens positioned between the two centre-backs.

The key coaching principle is what the BBC calls "trios": clusters of three players combining in unscripted passing sequences to escape pressure. Players are given personal responsibility to interpret the game rather than following pre-planned routines.

Third-man runs are central to the approach. A vertical pass into Bruno Fernandes dropping deep, for example, triggers Youri Tielemans to make a run off the back of his marker, receiving the ball in space to drive the team forward.

Santos, Tielemans and Mason Mount have combined particularly well in this system. Kobbie Mainoo, who returned with a cameo in the 4-2 defeat by AC Milan, is also well suited to it.

How do they press?

Out of possession, United use the same 4-2-4 shape, keeping four attackers high and narrow. This blocks the centre of the pitch and doubles as a counter-attacking trigger: if United win the ball back, four attackers are already close to the opponent's goal.

This paid dividends against PSG. Amad recognised the moment to press, curved his run to cut off a passing angle, and United found themselves four against four in PSG's final third. Bryan Mbeumo scored the equaliser.

What are the weaknesses?

AC Milan exposed the system with a 5-2-3 formation. Their wing-backs dropped deep, stretching the pitch and forcing United's full-backs to cover huge distances. By the time pressure was applied, the ball had moved on.

Milan also showed what happens when the midfield tries to play forward too quickly. With Fernandes, Tielemans and Santos on the pitch together, United lost control and turned the ball over repeatedly.

What is the big question for the season?

The story of United's campaign will likely revolve around whether Carrick can bridge the gap between counter-attacking (which they did brilliantly at the end of last season) and controlling games for longer periods. Erik ten Hag and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer both stumbled at the same hurdle.

Sir Alex Ferguson said in 2017: "I think you have a duty to entertain. We have to always remember there's a public to be entertained." Carrick is trying to honour that while winning. Hull on Saturday will be the first test.