Hull City's familiarity breeds content as fresh start strikes right balance against Manchester United
On the day Hull City needed to step up a level, there was a really familiar feel about their first game back in the Premier League. It was perfect.
Hull need to be better than the team which finished sixth in last season's Championship, but definitely not different.
That was a good way to describe the 2-0 win over Manchester United.
"I wasn't surprised because we did that a lot last season," commented Ryan Giles, part of both squads.
Even taking into account fitness, coach Sergej Jakirovic could easily have had seven debutants in his XI, but opted for eight of those who kicked off at Wembley. Of the three who missed out, Charlie Hughes is injured, Liam Millar provided important running from the bench and Ivor Pandur is now a Rangers player.
Few if any of the pundits most dismissive of Hull's chances this season will have watched much of them in 2025-26, but for those of us who did, that continuity screamed out at you.
It is why a Hull squad with 11 new faces looked readier for the season than a Red Devils one with three.
Hull's Championship team do not have the talent of their 19 Premier League rivals, not even Coventry City and Ipswich Town, who finished 22 and 11 points respectively above them. But winning football matches is about more than just talent, as the gifted but often young and new to England recruits the Tigers have drafted in must learn quickly.
What last season's squad had was bucketloads of character, tons of leadership and precise organisation.
John Egan had a chat with Nobel Mendy off the ball after six minutes which might well have been reminding the debutant of the plan, but when Matheus Cunha regularly left the centre-forward spot, Mendy and right-sided centre-back Semi Ajayi knew when to pick up the wide players, and when to pass them to full-backs Giles and Lewie Coyle.
Elliot Stroud – also new – and Mohammed Belloumi understood when to be the highest up the field and when to drop into a midfield four on top of the back five.
When Oli McBurnie regularly dropped from centre-forward into the inside-right channel, he knew where Belloumi and Coyle would sprint, and where to play the pass.
And when Giles crossed, he knew the McBurnie run to pick out, just as when Regan Slater stood over a 17th-minute corner and a 38th-minute free-kick, everyone realised what to do. Well, everyone in the black-and-amber retro shirts, anyway.
That familiarity breeds confidence, and Hull were not just familiar with what they had to do, but what the Red Devils would.
"I feel like we've done the same (as last season)," said Giles of Hull's approach in general.
"We knew what we were coming up against. We knew we had to keep spaces and distances tight. We've got legs to burn on the counter-attack."
Manchester United were perhaps having their best spell – it was a low bar – when Giles counter-attacked and whilst the cross Senne Lammens touched behind looked mishit, the eyes maybe hinted he was actually trying his luck. Regardless, when McBurnie got free at the corner and Lammens turned his stretching effort onto a post, Ajayi smashed into the roof of the net. Mendy then headed in a Slater free-kick.
This is a Hull side that visibly enjoys defending and partly through the visitors' failings but in no small part to the Tigers' spirit and those distances, a one-on-one with Bryan Mbuemo was a rare moment when an away side who dominated the ball looked like they could score. A lot like Middlesbrough in May.
Hull will need extra quality when opponents get familiar with them, but the key is that the new boys play on the 2025-26 squad's terms.
Goalkeeper Konstantinos Tzolakis already looks £20m well spent, less for the great save from Mbuemo's spectacular first-half volley, more the calmness in a febrile stadium epitomised by plucking the ball out of the air in the 96th minute.
"They have to buy into it, because that is going to be a massive thing for us this season," said Giles.
"Two set plays, two goals, and we win the game. I feel like boys that come in will understand that.
"We've got big Olly Mac in the box. If you put it on his head, within the minimum he's hitting the target. Along that with the set plays and the monsters we've got in the box, I feel like we can cause problems."
As Jakirovic said: "It's about the team. I had a conversation with our main players, leaders, and as soon as possible to put togetherness in our dressing room because some of them speak good English, some don't speak so well. We will try.
"Now they are convinced they can compete on this level and should continue like this.
"We had a plan to put Jens (Hjerto-Dahl) or (Luas) Gourna)-Douath) there (from the bench) but because of injuries I couldn't do that. But they will get a chance on Tuesday (at Stoke City in the League Cup)."
The message to them is the same one Manchester United ought to be contemplating. Being better than these Hull players is never enough.
Hull City: Tzolakis; Coyle (Drameh 71), Mendy (Herrington 64), Egan, Ajayi (McNair 64), Giles (Targett 85); Crooks, Slater; Stroud (Millar 71), McBurnie, Belloumi.
Unused substitutes: Phillips, Hjerto-Dahl, Dowell, Gourna-Douath.
Manchester United: Lammens; Mazraoui (Dalot 80), Maguire, Heaven, Shaw; Santos (Sesko 67), Tielemans (Mainoo 67); Mbeumo, Fernandes, Dorgu (Rashford HT); Cunha (Lacey 80).
Unused substitutes: Martínez, Zirkzee, Darlow, Yoro.
Referee: D England (Barnsley).
GAME AT A GLANCE
Great start: Hull spent £20m on Konstantinos Tzolakis and it looks a wise investment. The goalkeeper radiated calm in the way he took high balls. That sort of things goes a long way with a defence. And he made two good saves from Bryan Mbeumo,
The last laugh: Joe Cole laughed off Hull’s chances after getting into the Premier League “by the back door” and joked he had turned his phone on “Do not disturb” so he did not get asked to cover the match. So when Hull led 2-0, their fans sang “Are you watching Joe Cole?” Twenty-seven years on, Cole could be the new Rodney Marsh (ask an old Bradford City fan).
Gauntlet thrown down: There will be Hull debuts in the League Cup at Stoke City on Tuesday. The standard has been set for them.