Manchester United manager Michael Carrick says his side can be in the mix for honours this season as he prepares for the Premier League opener at Hull on Saturday lunchtime.
Carrick replaced Ruben Amorim in January, initially on an interim basis, with the former Middlesbrough boss eventually guiding United to a third-placed finish.
Carrick was handed the job full time and United have been tipped by some to win the title this season after making some shrewd signings.
Carrick won the league five times as a player with United and says they can make the step up to challenge this year.
He said: “It is going to be a jump. It doesn’t really matter whether I say we can or can’t win it. I would never say we can’t. I don’t believe that.
“Whatever I say, it is about what we do and what we can do, what we are capable of doing. What we believe we can do as a group. I think the run of form we had last season gave us a lot of confidence, but we know there is a whole new step to make as a group.
“We’re pushing to do that. It is exciting. We have the potential to achieve things. We are definitely giving everything that we can. We have got to believe that we’re a good team and that we can do good things.”
United have signed Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos and look set to bring in Carlos Baleba from Brighton. Excitingly, they will also have Marcus Rashford back in attack after he spent last season on loan at Barcelona.
Carrick said: “Marcus has come back fantastically well.
“He is enjoying his football, he looks fit, strong and looks ready to play football. I have been delighted with him since he came back.
“Of course, he can play through the middle, he has done. I wouldn’t say it is naturally his number one position, but he can do that.
“I think we have got forwards that give us that flexibility right across the frontline that we have used all of them pretty much in slightly different roles.
“I think for us to have that option is really good going through the season.”
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