Erik ten Hag reveals his 'only criticism' of Man Utd after Joshua Zirkzee seals win over Fulham on dream debut

The Dutch striker marked his arrival at Old Trafford in memorable fashion, delivering a last-gasp goal that secured a crucial 1-0 win against Fulham in their Premier League opener. With just three minutes left on the clock, Zirkzee pounced to break the deadlock, lifting the pressure off United and their manager, Ten Hag after he was set up by Alejandro Garnacho.

United were made to toil by a resolute Fulham defence and Bernard Leno could have been the MVP if Zirkzee had not bailed out United in the dying embers of the match. This prompted Ten Hag to take aim at his forwards who were guilty of wasting several gilt-edged opportunities throughout the match, until Zirkzee emerged as the game-changer after coming off the bench.

Ten Hag underscored the need for sharper finishing and told in his post-match comments to Sky Sports: "We created a lot of chances and we should have scored earlier and that is the only criticism of the team - kill in the box. Against Fulham, it is always a difficult game, but we defended and pressed very well. After 10 minutes we found our spell in the game and we kept them under pressure."

The significance of Zirkzee’s goal was not lost on Ten Hag who went on to emphasize the importance of substitutions in shaping the outcome of the game.

“Subs are always important, and it was good to see in the first game that you bring a sub on and he scores the winner. Everyone sees how crucial subs are, and they have to be ready," he said.

"Scoring for a striker is important and he should be where he was, but he has more qualities and he has to get the right balance - he has to be arriving in the box to get the finishes, but we also want him to link up. We have some great midfielders around him to make up combinations. First game, but it is good to strengthen the belief. I have seen many spaces where we have to improve but that is normal."

The lack of clinical finishing could have easily turned the narrative had Fulham managed to hold on for a draw, placing additional scrutiny on Ten Hag and his squad. However, with the first three points secured, the Red Devils will now shift their focus to their upcoming fixture against Brighton on August 24.