Avram Glazer, Manchester United’s co-owner, made a rare appearance at Old Trafford. “Glazers out,” chorused the Stretford End.
As the new season got underway, there was optimism in the stands and a positive vibe on the pitch. United played against Fulham in the 2024-25 Premier League opener and they had a score to settle. Back in February, during last season’s campaign, United had suffered a defeat to the Cottagers, thanks to a 97th-minute goal from Alex Iwobi. On Friday, Joshua Zirkzee came off the bench and scored on 87 minutes to give the Red Devils three points.
The win changed the narrative around United, at least for the time being. A goalless draw would have straightway put the team and manager Erik ten Hag under pressure. No team in world football faces scrutiny like the 20-time English top-flight league champions. They have little margin for error.
Last season was forgettable for United, finishing eighth with a negative goal difference. Ahead of this season’s campaign, Ten Hag spoke about his side not yet being ready. “We had the USA tour (pre-season) squad. Then we added the players who did the Euros and Copa America, and now new signings,” he said at the pre-match press conference. “Now we have to make a team from it. That team is not ready, but the league starts, and there are more managers to deal with this problem. We can’t run away from it, so we have to deal with it.”
His comment created enough scope for interpretation, if he was offering excuses even before the start of the season. Ten Hag’s survival as United manager even after last season’s horror show was down to the club’s new football hierarchy not finding a proper alternative. The 54-year-old Dutchman will be continuously looking over his shoulder, as he does his job this term. The presence of Ruud van Nistelrooy as his assistant in the dug-out and Gareth Southgate’s availability after the Euros will keep him on tenterhooks and there’s very little room for a slip-up. On Friday, the United manager was decisive with his substitutions.
The hosts actually should have been up 3-0 inside 60 minutes. Bruno Fernandes missed two gilt-edged chances in the first-half and Mason Mount wasted another after the break. In the dying moments, Alejandro Garnacho missed from six yards out with the goal gaping. But United didn’t pay for their profligacy because the defence was resolute.
Harry Maguire had an excellent game. The former club captain is under pressure to retain his place as the team’s first-choice centre-half following Matthijs de Ligt and Leny Yoro’s arrivals. But the 31-year-old is a fighter and without his intervention, United would have conceded midway into the second-half.
Zirkzee, a £36.5 million arrival from Bologna, impressed with his movements in the final-third and scored a poacher’s goal on his Old Trafford debut. This was something that United missed last season. But at 23 years of age and in his first season in the Premier League, Zirkzee can’t be the team’s main focal point. The other striker in the ranks, Rasmus Hojlund, is currently injured. But even at his peak, he doesn’t inspire much confidence. United need someone of Ivan Toney or Evan Ferguson’s calibre to lead the line.
After the match, Ten Hag rightly addressed the finishing issue, as he told Sky Sports: “We should have scored earlier. That’s the only criticism I have for the team. Kill. Kill in the box.”
United also need a new No. 6 before the summer transfer window closes on August 30. For the first 20 minutes against Fulham, Casemiro looked a Soccer Aid player. And although the veteran improved as the game progressed, playing him against top teams would be a recipe for disaster. The sooner the Manuel Ugarte deal is completed the better.