Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag did not hold back his disappointment over his team’s missed opportunities, despite a last-gasp victory against Fulham in their Premier League opener at Old Trafford. Substitute Joshua Zirkzee’s late strike secured a 1-0 win, but ten Hag emphasized the need for his side to be more clinical in front of goal.

The match saw United dominate possession and create numerous chances, but they struggled to convert. Bruno Fernandes had two golden opportunities in the first half, only to be denied by Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno in one-on-one situations. In the second half, Mason Mount also saw a promising chance go begging, with Leno again coming to Fulham’s rescue.

The lack of cutting edge in front of goal left the Old Trafford faithful frustrated, with the optimism of the opening day quickly dampened by the team’s inability to find the back of the net. It wasn’t until the 87th minute that substitute Zirkzee, making his debut, broke the deadlock. The Dutch forward connected with an Alejandro Garnacho cross, slotting the ball past Leno to secure the three points for United.

Despite the victory, ten Hag was not entirely satisfied. “I think one area we have to get right is how to kill games in the box,” the Dutchman remarked post-match. “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 have to wait for a late winner. We have to be more composed and kill teams.”

The United boss acknowledged that it might be early-season rust affecting his players’ sharpness but was adamant that improvements are needed. “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,” he added.

Ten Hag also praised Zirkzee for his decisive contribution, noting the forward’s recovery from an injury that kept him out of the European Championship. “He [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.”

The United manager highlighted Zirkzee’s role in linking up play and his ability to arrive in the box at the right time, a quality United had been missing. “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.”