This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
The Frenchman scored just his second goal for the club 15 minutes from time when he headed in Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s cross from close-range.
The goal came against the run of play, with Wolves missing a number of fine chances to take the lead at Old Trafford.
Matheus Cunha and Pablo Sarabia both went close before the interval as Gary O’Neil’s side looked to capitalise on United’s nervy start.
Ten Hag’s side barely improved after the break and Cunha somehow missed from three yards out when his effort cannoned off the post, much to the disbelief of the Old Trafford crowd.
A United winner had not felt inevitable, despite the long list of missed chances from Wolves and they continued to knock on Andre Onana’s door as Fabio Silva and Matheus Nunes tested the Cameroonian on his debut.
The 27-year-old survived a late scare as VAR penalty scare when the Cameroonian clattered into Sasa Kalajdzic from a cross.
But it was Wolves’ charity in front of goal that they were left ruing most as Varane ensured United made a winning, if unconvincing, start to the campaign.
Mount yet to settle
Ten Hag spoke glowingly of Mount’s versatility following his arrival from Chelsea this summer and the midfielder’s ability to play in a number of different positions will benefit United in different competitions.
But Mount’s been a victim of that versatility so far, with Ten Hag pushing the England midfielder into a variety of different midfield roles throughout pre-season.
It’s made for a disjointed start to life at Old Trafford, and Mount again looked unsure as to his exact role against Wolves.
In the first half, Mount’s heatmap showed he was playing as high as Rashford in attack. While this is partly down to Mount’s off-the-ball pressing, it also shows that Ten Hag wanted him to make runs in behind Wolves’ defence.
But Gary O’Neil’s side deployed a low-block, and United’s passing through the lines was not good enough to find Mount in the pockets between Wolves’ midfield and defence, nor in behind.
Mount’s disappointing debut ended in the 68th minute when he was replaced by Christian Eriksen.
Shaw’s midfield experiment fails
Ten Hag made clear in his programme notes that the club’s new signings would make implementing his preferred style of play easier and there was a notable change in system from the first minute.
With Mount pushed up alongside Fernandes as one of the two 8s, with Shaw pushing into central midfield with Casemiro when United were in possession.
The ‘inverted full-back role’ – first used by Pep Guardiola with Philipp Lahm at Bayern Munich – has become a popular tactic in recent years with Mikel Arteta deploying Oleksandr Zinchenko in the role in the last 12 months.
Ten Hag tried to do the same with Diogo Dalot at the start of last season but he reverted to a flat back four after consecutive defeats to Brighton and Brentford last August.
After a far more settled pre-season, Ten Hag clearly felt emboldened to resume the tactic but it failed miserably in the first half.
Shaw’s move into midfield left a back three of Lisandro Martinez, Raphael Varane and Aaron Wan-Bissaka. While all talented in their own right, only Martinez is good enough from a build-up perspective and they struggled to connect with the midfield.
In the second half, Martinez made way for Victor Lindelof and it was the Swede that pushed into midfield to allow Shaw to drop back.
Sancho impresses from the bench
Up until Alejandro Garnacho’s display against Lens last weekend, Sancho had been a virtual certainty to start United’s opening game of the season.
The England winger endured a difficult campaign last term but he was one of United’s best performers during the pre-season tour of the United States.
Sancho was often deployed as a false nine in the absence of a traditional centre forward, and it’s role that he adapted to well as he used his intelligence to drop deep, link the play and spin in behind at the right times.
The former Dortmund winger scored a fantastic goal against Arsenal in United’s opening game of the US tour and Ten Hag must have given some consideration to playing Sancho centrally in order to select Rashford in his favoured left-wing position.
Instead it was Garnacho that got the nod but the Argentine endured one of those difficult nights that all talented – but raw – wingers endure. Practically everything Garnacho tried failed to come off and he was hooked for Sancho with 23 minutes to play.
Sancho provided the calmness that had been lacking in United’s attacking play and it would be no surprise to see him come into the side next week against Tottenham.
MORE : Alex Ferguson rates new Manchester United signings under Erik ten Hag
For more stories like this, check our sport page.
Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on
Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Share your story or advertise with us: Whatsapp: +2347068606071 Email: info@newspotng.com
