A new Manchester United career officially started vs Fenerbahce

Predicting how Manchester United are going to line up is becoming an almost impossible task nowadays.

Nobody would have anticipated Noussair Mazraoui starting in the attacking-midfield position against Fenerbahce on Thursday night, nor would many have expected to see Victor Lindelof's name in the starting XI. In the absence of Bruno Fernandes in Istanbul, it was widely expected United manager Erik ten Hag would push Christian Eriksen further forward.

But it was Mazraoui who started just behind lone frontman Joshua Zirkzee. It was an experiment that failed to pay off. Zirkzee, who is showing few signs of being the natural goalscorer United needed in the summer, would have been a more suitable replacement for Fernandes in the No.10 berth. His link-up play is his biggest strength. Amad, too, was also an option Ten Hag overlooked.

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At the base of the engine room, however, Ten Hag's decision to hand Manuel Ugarte his first start since the 3-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur on September 29 was fully justified, with the Uruguayan producing his best performance for the club to date.

This reporter, earlier this week, argued for Ugarte to be handed just his fourth start in United colours in Istanbul, highlighting the fact he needed minutes to start proving why the club had chased his signature all summer. His first few performances did not result in glowing assessments, but the sample size was far too small to launch a wave of negativity.

United, ever since the beginning of last season, have been crying out for a destroyer at the base of their midfield. Casemiro