Manchester United's three-step plan for Joshua Zirkzee pays off vs Fulham

Joshua Zirkzee re-emerged for the second half long before the rest of his teammates to take his place back on the bench and was hardly noticed. They noticed him at full-time.

No striker and no goals. Once Manchester United had a striker on, they got their goal. Zirkzee's integration has now been vindicated with a goalscoring Old Trafford debut, just like the returning Dutchman in the dugout.

Zirkzee and Alejandro Garnacho started warming up within five minutes of the restart. Eight minutes later, Erik ten Hag hollered their names. Ruud van Nistelrooy was stood next to Ten Hag when Garnacho and Zirkzee combined for United's winner.

Zirkzee holidayed in Los Angeles when United were based there yet reported for training at Carrington, He was unused against Manchester City in the Community Shield. The wait was worth it for the 70,000 optimistic United matchgoers.

Ten Hag summoned his compatriot on the hour. The £36.5million Zirkzee was thoroughly briefed by the new set-piece coach Andreas Georgson yet was rarely in sync with his new teammates until the moment it mattered. Zirkzee is the fourth United Dutchman to score on his Old Trafford bow after Jordi Cruyff, Van Nistelrooy, Robin van Persie, Alexander Buttner and Donny van de Beek.

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Scoring without performing is an invaluable knack. It would be an exaggeration to say Zirkzee did not perform before he connected with Garnacho's cross yet he was well marshalled by Fulham up until that point. He deftly converted one of United's more difficult chances on a night they created clearer openings.

The absence of a focal point ought to have been rendered moot. There were three glaring chances