Manchester United’s nightmare begin to the 2023/24 season continued on Saturday afternoon as they had been overwhelmed 3-1 by Brighton at Old Trafford.
The was an air of optimism at Old Trafford earlier than kick-off as Danish ahead Rasmus Hojlund was handed his first begin for the membership, having solely made a short look from the bench against Arsenal earlier than the worldwide break.
In the top, it became a little bit of a nightmare full debut for Hojlund on account of the end result and having a goal dominated out which might have modified the sport.
Manchester United truly began in a optimistic method against the Seagulls and, whereas they definitely weren’t blowing Roberto De Zerbi’s aspect away, they regarded extra prone to get the opening goal.
Marcus Rashford had a shot from a decent angle saved by Jason Steele and Hojlund practically acquired on the top of a cross from the England winger, with the pair seeming to work very properly collectively. Then Danny Welbeck’s opener arrived and Ten Hag’s aspect by no means actually recovered.
However, it appeared that they had when Rashford acquired to the byline and squeezed the ball into the field the place Hojlund was ready to regulate his physique and instinctively ship a end into the underside nook. He wheeled away in celebration, however then the VAR test got here.
It turned out that as Rashford acquired to the byline, the ball had very barely gone out of play, denying Hojlund a primary Red Devils goal by no fault of his personal. One angle which did the rounds on social media instructed the ball had not gone out of play, however one other confirmed conclusively it had simply crossed the road.
Rasmus Hojlund scores — however it’s dominated out.
Law 9: “The ball is out of play when: It has wholly crossed the goal line or touch line, whether on the ground or in the air.”#MUNBHA | #PL pic.twitter.com/J4KbXloffF
— The Athletic | Football (@TheAthleticFC) September 16, 2023
There had been a few cases of the house followers booing at Old Trafford on Saturday, primarily on the full-time whistle. The discontent was heard loudly when Hojlund, one of many few gamers in pink not having too dangerous a sport, was substituted. It additionally did not assist that it was Anthony Martial, a participant Man Utd followers appear very bored of watching, who changed him.
Ten Hag spoke to the press after the match in regards to the substitution and defined it was made for health causes.
“I think it was positive, you see that the fans in the first moment in Old Trafford, the reception for [Hojlund] was great, I think he performed very well,” he mentioned.
“So I think it’s good that they give him this signal, this message. It will give him belief, Rasmus, but everyone knows he came in with a small issue, we built him over the past three, four weeks, he’s not ready for a whole game. And we have many games to play [at] short notice, so yeah, we have to build him also in fitness.”
When Tag Hag was requested if the boos had been for Martial approaching fairly than Hojlund being introduced off, he mentioned: “I think it was because Rasmus Hojlund came off. But I don’t want to discuss that, I don’t know.
“But I believe Anthony Martial each time, final yr, each time when he had a really optimistic impact on our video games. I believe even we nearly misplaced no video games with Anthony Martial on the pitch. If that is the very fact, I do not perceive, as a result of when he’s match, he positively will contribute.”
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