Erik ten Hag must stick with new Manchester United partnership despite Brighton defeat

A false forward

The big question ahead of the opening match of the season was how Erik ten Hag would manage to replace the injured Anthony Martial given his limited attacking options in reserve. The answer? He didn't.

Instead, Manchester United went for a false nine approach, with Cristiano Ronaldo on the bench amid a lack of fitness and Anthony Elanga also in reserve after a poor pre-season. Christian Eriksen started in the more advanced role, but the lack of a physical presence up front left United short of ideas and muddled amid the regular movement.

Ten Hag's side only really offered an attacking edge when Ronaldo was introduced from the bench, though, a change that further highlighted the need for at least one other attacker before deadline day next month.

READ MORE: Eriksen proved he can solve problem that cost United vs Brighton

Until then, a false nine will only give false hope.

Ten Hag must stick by new partnership

It might be an unpopular opinion amongst some supporters, but there is an argument that Harry Maguire was United's best performer of the summer. All that would count for nothing if form in competitive matches didn't match it, though, and he still has a lot of work to do if he is to win his many doubters over.

The United captain coped well under pressure in the opening phases of the game and distributed the ball from deep, evidently much more confident now that he has a regular partner in Lisandro Martinez who complements his game.

Ten Hag's summer wish list was topped by Martinez, a summer signing from Ajax, and it is easy to see why. He still has a lot to learn but was equally cool in possession and played a key role in their build-up play from the back.

Weakness in midfield was as much to blame for