At a time when Manchester United's campaign seemed to have a disappointing start after a series of missed opportunities, the £36.5 million contract spoke up. Joshua Zirkzee came off the bench and sealed a 1-0 victory over Fulham with a goal in the 87th minute.
Zirkzee's celebration has since been quite calm considering what he has done. Meanwhile, Ten Hag has expressed his joy on the touchline.
After a dismal 2023-24 season, this is the first chance for Ten Hag to prove that things will be different in the new campaign. Of course, no one would believe this if Man United shared points at home against Fulham. Instead, Ten Hag had the opportunity to talk about the positives, and mostly thanks to Zirkzee.
"It's great for a striker to come in and score his first goal. This victory is very encouraging. Starting the season with a win is always important. We are not ready as a team when many players are not at their best physical condition. We only have 10 days of training with these players.
I expect more from this team, but we have a foundation to develop. The performance was very good, of course there was room for improvement in the 90 minutes, but I think the overall performance and the implementation of the match plan were very good" - Ten Hag said after the match.
However, Zirkzee's brilliant moment could not hide all the problems of the "Red Devils". During the time the Dutch striker was on the bench, Man United missed a series of opportunities with Bruno Fernandes taking on the role of "number 9".
Man United scored the fewest goals in the top 10 of the Premier League last season, and for most of the time against Fulham, it seemed like this had not been resolved.
Rasmus Hojlund cannot return soon after a 10-week break due to a hamstring injury he suffered in the US. The difference this year is that Ten Hag has a backup plan.
Zirkzee, who scored 11 goals in Serie A last season, came on in the 61st minute and immediately helped Man United get highlights in attack. Alejandro Garnacho crossed the ball from the right wing, then Zirkzee chose the correct position and fired a shot past goalkeeper Leno.
"Winning, winning the first home match with your own goal, it's really nothing better. I feel lucky to have experienced everything like that in my first match.
Erik ten Hag told me before coming on that, bring my energy and help the team as much as possible. That's all!" - Zirkzee said.
The Red Devils also won their first game of last season 1-0, but then lost four of their next five. A fresh start at Old Trafford, with a new co-owner, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, and new players like Zirkzee, will boost optimism around Old Trafford. However, Ten Hag knows better than anyone that this is just the beginning.
