Hull City's stunning 2-0 victory over Manchester United on the opening weekend of the Premier League season was no fluke, but rather the result of a tactical scheme manager Sergej Jakirovic had quietly nurtured for weeks, according to assistant head coach Dean Holden.
Speaking to Match of the Day, Holden revealed that Jakirovic had been considering a switch to a back-five system for three or four weeks before the encounter with Michael Carrick's United, but deliberately concealed the plan by sticking with a back four throughout pre-season friendlies.
Goals from defenders Semi Ajayi and Nobel Mendy either side of half-time secured Hull's first league win over United since 1974, marking a remarkable start to their first top-flight campaign in nine years. The Tigers had returned to the Premier League after clinching promotion through the play-offs last season.
Jakirovic's tactical rethink was informed by studying United's pre-season matches, including a 4-2 defeat to AC Milan under the guidance of former United boss Ruben Amorim, who had repeatedly exploited space out wide by switching play to his wing-backs — an area United's defence struggled to cover.
However, Holden was quick to dismiss any suggestion that Hull had simply replicated Amorim's approach.