Erik ten Hag demands more as Manchester United scrape win in Premier League opener

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag bemoaned wasted chances as his team laboured to a 1-0 win over Fulham in their Premier League opener on Friday.

United fans saw their hopes of a positive start to the season disappear quickly as the team struggled to create openings.

Bruno Fernandes started in a false nine role in the absence of Rasmus Hojlund, while new signing Noussair Mazraoui was thrown straight into the starting line-up at right-back after joining from Bayern Munich this week.

It was Fulham who started confidently with Andre Onana doing well to prevent Kenny Tete's effort finding the top corner.

Thereafter, Fernandes missed huge chances by firing too close to Bernd Leno before the German goalkeeper spread himself brilliantly to deny Mason Mount a rare goal.

Debutant Joshua Zirkzee, who came on only for the final half hour, saved the Red Devils from a frustrating evening at Old Trafford when he poked in Alejandro Garnacho's cross on 87 minutes.

"I think one area we have to get right is how to kill [games] in the box," Ten Hag said. "We saw it in the friendlies and last week against Manchester City [in United's Community Shield loss].

"We created enough chances and should not to have wait for a late winner. We have to be more composed.

"Maybe it is because it is the start of the season, players have to come into full speed. We have enough players with scoring abilities."

Zirkzee was among three debutants on Friday, with Mazraoui starting and Matthijs de Ligt brought off the bench following their moves from Bayern Munich.

"Zirkzee had an injury at the end of his career at Bologna and he was not selected for the European Championship for the Netherlands.

"We have to build up some deficits. He has some attributes we didn't have and straight away he showed it.

"He is very good in his linking up combinations. We have some very good ball-playing combinations in the team. But he has to arrive in the box to score goals and he did that tonight. He is a Man United player and it is very good for a striker coming in and scoring his first goal."

One player conspicuous by his absence was Jadon Sancho.

He spent the second half of last season on loan at Borussia Dortmund after being banished from the first team by Ten Hag. Sancho came on in the Community Shield last weekend and missed a penalty.

"First of all, we need squad depth," Ten Hag said. "It will be a season that is survival of the fittest but I can only put 20 players in the squad.

"I have to make choices and Jadon in the week had an ear infection and he was not 100 per cent fit for this.

"He could play but if you can make choices, I made the choice that we choose, we preferred other players on the bench.

"But that can change and will definitely change in the season where we have to rotate because we can't play every game with the same.

"You see already today how important subs are, so we need the right bench and the right balance. Sometimes it is frustrating for the player but it's about the team, it's about the club.

"There will be more players who will be in this position but then we expect them to fight, fight for the club."