Premier League: "Man United could be targeting second - they could equally finish fifth"

Ahead of Manchester United's Premier League opener against Hull City, Sports Mole's Football Editor and Red Devils expert Matt Law discusses Michael Carrick's side.

Matt Law, Football Editor: "It has been a good summer"

It has been a good summer. Pre-season had a poor start against Wrexham and a difficult end against Milan, but the bulk of it was solid. 

Ruben Amorim got one over on his former club in the last of those pre-season ties. The signings have been encouraging. 

Andrey Santos has been a standout player in midfield. Carlos Baleba looks set to come in as a third signing alongside Tielemans. Manchester United still want to add a left-back, and potentially a forward if Zirkzee leaves. 

The feel-good factor is undeniably there. What can Man United achieve this season? Arsenal are the clear title favourites, but beyond them it is United, Liverpool, Chelsea, and Man City in some order. 

It would be hard to say with confidence who will finish second, third, or fourth. It is going to be a real fight. Man United could be targeting second. They could equally finish fifth. 

It is going to be one of those seasons. The key challenge is balancing the Champions League. 

They went out early in both the League Cup and FA Cup last season, which meant a ridiculously short season with long periods between matches. 

There was a period in March and April where they did not play for around 21 days. These are new challenges. 

Bryan Mbeumo has been really good in pre-season. The Sesko injury is a concern; he did not play a single minute in pre-season. 

He is in training but will not start this game. It will be interesting to see how Man United line up. 

They have a good start to the season on paper, with Hull and Ipswich back to back, and should be targeting nine points before the Manchester derby. 

It rarely turns out that way, though. There are always setbacks along the way. I am quietly optimistic of another strong season. 

Another couple of signings would make me more comfortable about the state of the squad. It is a completely new challenge. 

The recovery demands on the players are significant, particularly having lost depth with Casemiro's exit. Man United have always wanted to add three midfielders to cover two positions adequately. 

There has been talk about whether £170m or £180m on two midfielders such as Tonali and Fernandes, for example, would have been enough. But they always needed three. 

You need four central midfielders to comfortably cover two positions with the volume of games ahead. With Fernandes as the number ten, depth is essential. 

You always want to be in the Champions League, playing at the highest level. A lot of players have not played in the Champions League before, and it will be a real learning curve. 

The squad is looking healthier, though. They just need to add some quality in a couple of areas, and there are good youngsters coming through. 

I think the squad is well-equipped and can handle it. The big question is for Carrick himself, as this is new territory for him. He has never had to pick a team with one eye on the next match. 

When you are playing Sunday, Tuesday, and then Saturday, with Europe mid-week, it is a completely different challenge. He will have to find a way to navigate through it.