Manchester United will take on Brighton and Hove Albion in the Premier League on Sunday with the aim to avoid equalling an unwanted 49-year-old record by avoiding defeat.
Erik ten Hag will get a first taste of the Premier League after he was appointed the club’s manager this summer. He has already made a positive start to his managerial reign at the club.
The Red Devils ended last season in the worst possible way, losing to Crystal Palace 1-0 on the final day.
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If United end up on the losing side against Brighton and Hove Albion, it will mean they would have ended one season and started the next one with a defeat for the first time since 1973.
Manchester United suffered a 1-0 loss to Chelsea on the final day of the 1972-73 First Division season before losing to Arsenal 3-0 at the beginning of the 1973-73 season at Highbury.
There’s also the memory of last season’s 4-0 thrashing by Brighton at the Amex Stadium that will surely be on the back of most players’ minds when they take to the field on Sunday.
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The first game of United’s season would most likely see debuts being given to new signings Tyrel Malacia, Lisandro Martinez and Christian Eriksen.
They have all impressed in the limited amount of minutes they have played for the club in pre-season.
Anthony Martial will definitely miss out due to an injury, which could see Cristiano Ronaldo start the game, however, Ten Hag has pointed out that the Portuguese still needs to build his fitness for the season.
Ronaldo has already been linked heavily with a move away from United, but he should feature against Brighton regardless.
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Meanwhile, Ten Hag has been boosted by the progress Raphael Varane has made on the road to his recovery from injury.
Speaking at his press conference, Ten Hag issued a rallying cry to the fans as spoke about how he’s feeling ahead of his first competitive game for Manchester United.
He said, “Me, the coaching, the players, we have to do everything to bring success back on the pitch because on the pitch is where everything starts.
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“It starts there and on the training ground every day, you must make what you can, as an individual and also as a team.”
Ten Hag added, “'I think that is clear. The stadium I think is meant to bring fight and cooperation. But we have to give the example out on the pitch,
"We must have the right attitude and that attitude means hard work but also especially, it means being brave.
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"If we bring that commitment then I think they [the fans] will like it and they will bring the fight back."
Featured Image Credit: AlamyTopics: Manchester United, Brighton And Hove Albion, Premier League, Erik Ten Hag, Football