Ten Hag’s premiere failed: Man United lose to Brighton

taketonews

Ronaldo only jokers

For Manchester United, the new era under Dutch coach Erik ten Hag began with a defeat and protests from dissatisfied fans. The English record champions lost 2-1 (0-2) against Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League on Sunday. German pro Pascal Groß scored both goals in the 30th and 39th minutes for the visitors who celebrated their first win at Old Trafford. The goal for Man United was an own goal by Alexis Mac Allister (68th).

Cristiano Ronaldo, who was willing to change and whose future has been the subject of speculation for weeks, only came on after 53 minutes. As a reason for why Ronaldo was not in the starting XI, ten Hag cited fitness deficits. “He works really hard to get to the right level of fitness,” said the Dutchman on the BBC broadcaster. “It takes time, that’s normal,” he said.

Even before the game, the mood around Old Trafford was tense. The fan shop at the stadium was closed for security reasons when around 1,000 United supporters demonstrated against the American owner family Glazer. However, the protests remained peaceful. One of the club’s owners, Avram Glazer, sat in the stands and was chanted by fans throughout the game.

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