Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag voiced concern over missed opportunities after his team’s hard-fought 1-0 win over Fulham in their Premier League opener on Friday. Despite securing the victory, the Old Trafford crowd left feeling disappointed as United struggled to create scoring chances throughout most of the match.
The few chances they did have were often wasted until substitute Joshua Zirkzee, making his debut, scored a decisive late goal. Ten Hag stressed the need for more effective finishing, especially in the penalty area.
He said, “We need to improve our ability to finish games off in the box. We faced the same problem in our friendlies and in our recent loss to Manchester City in the Community Shield. We had enough opportunities and shouldn’t rely on late goals. We need to be more composed and decisive.”
Ten Hag noted that the slow start could be due to the season’s beginning, with players still adjusting. However, he was confident in the team’s ability to score, pointing out that there are many players capable of finding the net.
The winning goal came from Dutch forward Zirkzee, who scored after coming on as a substitute and converting a late cross from Alejandro Garnacho. Ten Hag praised Zirkzee for his return to form following an injury that had sidelined him towards the end of his time at Bologna, which also kept him out of the European Championship for the Netherlands.
“We need to address some areas of his game,” Ten Hag said. “But he brought qualities we were missing, and he showcased them right away. He’s very effective in combination play, which fits well with our team. He needs to consistently get into scoring positions, and he did that tonight. It’s fantastic to see a striker score on his debut.”