Comment: Ten Hag can thank fellow Dutchman for a flying, if fragile, fresh start

Joshua Zirkzee's late winner gives just the slightest sense that the air may be changing at Old Trafford. How his manager needed it

Fri, 16 Aug, 2024 - 22:58

Chris Hatherall

Erik ten Hag, who was described as a lucky manager to keep his job at Old Trafford, must be thinking he’s on a roll after new signing Joshua Zirkzee earned a late goal against Fulham that could change the narrative of a season.

It was looking rather bleak for United before Zirkzee, with only his seventh touch in a Red Devils shirt, cleverly turned home a cross from fellow substitute Alejandro Garnacho with six minutes to go of a match which Fulham probably deserved to take at least a point from. So, this is one victory which could have a bigger impact than it deserves.

Manchester United were looking for a convincing, entertaining victory on the opening day of the season to set the tone for 2024/25 and convince fans – and a global audience – that life was going to be different now that Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOs were having a real influence on the club.

What they delivered was something which looked very like last season – until Zirkzee turned the tables and hinted that maybe, just maybe, that luck is coming home.

With the same manager on the bench and most of the same players on the pitch (except for new defender Noussair Mazraoui at right-back) there was little to suggest that we are about to see a new beginning at Old Trafford for most of the 94 minutes.

Ten Hag will say he was denied fielding some of his new signings because of injury and will point to a positive performance in the Community Shield against Manchester City – and to last season’s FA Cup Final victory as evidence this was no fluke.

He will believe that a positive transfer window, which still has time to run, can continue change the atmosphere and change United’s fortunes. But for much of a frustrating night against a lively Fulham side it was very much a case of deja-vu, and these days that’s a very bad thing for a club that used to be non-stop entertainment.

Fulham created enough chances on the break, and enough opportunities from corners, to feel they could, and maybe should, have won it. United will point to two big, big chances for Bruno Fernandes in the first half and say they could have scored so much sooner.

The overall feeling in the air was that United are a long way from getting back to where they ought to be, but of course nobody will remember that when they look at three points on the board.

This is a club that has spent a lifetime being centre stage, so opening the new Premier League season with a game against Fulham at Old Trafford in front of a global audience would not normally be seen as anything other than a game to relish from the sofa.

But there was an extra tension to this one given just how badly they performed last season and because, against all the odds, the club’s new regime opted to keep manager Ten Hag in post to give it all another go.

Not many managers in modern day football would be that lucky but billionaire Ratcliffe, now in charge of United’s sporting operation after investing heavily in the club, opted to keep faith with the Dutchman and give him a hefty transfer budget to spend as a result.

So, the eyes looking down on United from every part of the globe were not wide eyed and excited – they were critical and demanding answers.

Did they get one? Well, not really. But results count in football, and in a game they lost last season it was still crucial for United to come through it and win this time.

Remember, United suffered nine competitive home defeats last at Old Trafford last season, the joint worse record in their history, which is impossible to get your head around - and one of them was against Fulham.

So, it was vital to show the Stretford End that normal service, at least in some form, was going to return this year – and especially on home soil. Thank goodness for Zirkzee, because until a raft of second half substitutions it wasn’t looking pretty.

There were so many elements of the game that felt like ‘here we go again’.

United relying on the slow but determined Harry Maguire at the back but seeing him limp off in the second half. Jonny Evans coming off the bench despite his ageing limbs. The home team struggling to defend corners. Marcus Rashford disappointing again on the left. Bruno Fernandes missing chances despite his obvious quality. A lack of width, with ten Hag for some reason reluctant to start with Garnacho. Mason Mount being anonymous and Casemiro running out of steam.

The list went on. Until one touch changed everything.

Garnacho made a big difference, as he did at Wembley last week, and Zirkzee showed the killer touch that his teammates lacked.

We won’t mention that there was also an horrendous late miss from Garnacho in injury time when United had two players five metres from goal and only Leno to beat. Goodness knows what headlines there would have been had it been 0-0 at that stage.

Was it luck that got United there? Maybe. But at least something is changing.