Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has praised match winner Joshua Zirkzee after the debutant scored a late winner to secure a 1-0 win over Fulham.
Victory sees United start off their Premier League campaign in the perfect way, in a match that could have gone either way for both teams.
Fulham performed admirably on the night, but come away from Old Trafford empty handed despite having plenty of opportunities to score.
Erik ten Hag’s men struggled to create meaningful chances in attack, as a lack of a recognised striker affected their forward play.
Zirkzee entered the fray for his United debut on 60 minutes, before guiding the ball into the net from fellow substitute Alejandro Garnacho’s cross in the 87th minute to mark his first appearance for the Red Devils in style.
Although ten Hag was delighted for his new striker’s winning goal, the Dutchman says his compatriot will still be judged by his output this season.
“Scoring for a striker is important,” he said. “He should have been where he was to finish and to kill. He has more qualities so he has to get the right balance.
“We have to work with him and he has to arrive in the box to finish. We want him to link up with the team and so that’s why we bought him.
“It showed that subs are very important. It’s great in the first game to bring on a sub and he ends up winning us the game.
“It’s good for the team process and the spirit of the group. It shows how important subs are and that they need to be ready.
“Against Fulham, it’s always a difficult game but we pressed very well and we kept them under pressure. We created a lot of chances and should have scored earlier. That’s my only criticism of the team that we needed to kill.”
