Hull's Jakirovic hid back-five plan from Man Utd for weeks before 2-0 win

Hull beat Manchester United 2-0 on their Premier League return using a back five — a formation they never showed in pre-season. Assistant Dean Holden told Match of the Day that head coach Sergej Jakirovic rehearsed the switch for three to four weeks while deliberately playing a back four in friendlies to avoid detection. Jakirovic studied United's pre-season defeats to pinpoint vulnerabilities. Hull had 28% possession.