da premier bet： Erik ten Hag's side had another miserable performance in their second game of the season and this time they were punished for it
da aposte e ganhe： Marcus Rashford was handsomely rewarded by Manchester United for his stunning form last season, but right now he is not holding up his end of the bargain. He gave a desperately disappointing performance against Tottenham, failing to lead the line properly or play with any sign of a spark as United slid to a 2-0 defeat courtesy of a strike from Pape Mate Sarr and a calamitous Lisandro Martinez own goal.
Rashford was far from alone in flattering to deceive in another pitiful United performance and, unlike in their Premier League opener against Wolves, they did not get away with it. Despite making three big signings and getting their business done early, Erik ten Hag's side look a mess – bringing back bad memories of their catastrophic start to the previous campaign.
And they are badly missing their most expensive new arrival, Rasmus Hojlund, who is still recovering from a back injury and is yet to make his debut. The 20-year-old would have ideally had a bedding-in period, but United now desperately need him to make a flying start to his Premier League career, as playing Rashford out of position up front on his own is simply not working.
GOAL breaks down the winners & losers from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium…
Getty ImagesLOSER: Marcus Rashford
In the space of only a few months, Marcus Rashford has gone from being Manchester United's talisman to a blunt knife. After the best-ever season of his career, in which he scored 30 goals in all competitions for the first time, Rashford has made a miserable start to the new campaign.
He was ineffectual against Wolves and even worse here against Tottenham. He only had three efforts all game, one which was blocked, one which was easily saved by Guglielmo Vicario and, worst of all, headed over the bar when unmarked after a dream cross from Bruno Fernandes.
To be fair to Rashford, he has made it clear he prefers to play off the left of the attack. Hojlund's back injury and Anthony Martial's poor fitness record has given Ten Hag little choice, however, and United's highest-paid player needs to step up.
He also did not help himself by kicking up a fuss when he was brought off. It was an embarrassing end to an embarrassing performance.
AdvertisementGettyWINNER: Rasmus Hojlund
Casemiro famously texted his agent after watching United's shock 4-0 thrashing by Brentford in the second game of last season, telling him "I'll fix this". Hojlund might have been thinking the same as he watched his new side look toothless up front for the second game in a row.
The Dane, who is still recovering from a back injury, may already be under pressure due to his £74 million ($94m) price tag and he will now be expected to hit the ground running when he returns to full fitness, potentially in time for the trip to Arsenal on September 3.
But this is also a huge opportunity for him to get off to a strong start and ingratiate himself to United fans. He will need to be prolific from the off and he can take inspiration from how Erling Haaland hit the ground running in his first few games in the Premier League.
He is known to have a big personality and being the answer to United's poor start should not faze him. It has the potential to inspire him.
GettyLOSER: The organisers of United's draining pre-season tour
A pre-season tour is supposed to lay the foundations for the coming campaign; it can serve as a testing ground for any fresh ideas the manager has but above all it is there to get the players in shape.
However, looking at United's first two matches of the new Premier League term, the tour has had little positive impact. Just as against Wolves, Ten Hag's side looked haggard, as if they were coming towards the end of the season rather than just starting it.
United's tour was a roaring success commercially, with Ten Hag's side visiting Norway, Scotland, Ireland and the USA as well as having one game at Old Trafford. But it was also a drain on the players and staff.
The team played a whopping eight matches in 25 days and twice played on successive days, travelling from San Diego to Houston in 24 hours for the fixtures against Wrexham and Real Madrid, and then flying over to Dublin to face Athletic Club just after playing against Lens. Granted, the Wrexham match was for the Under-23s, but Ten Hag still attended. The team also played and trained in scorching conditions, with the temperature in Las Vegas for the match against Borussia Dortmund rising above 40 degrees Celsius.
The manager earned admiration for cutting the team's number of commercial days from three to two but the tour was still a gruelling venture and it seems to have had a negative impact on the players.
Getty ImagesWINNER: Ange Postecoglou
The Australian's unusual career path and commitment to playing entertaining football has got him off on a good footing with Spurs fans, but words will only get him so far and the 2-2 draw at Brentford was not exactly an ideal start.
However, he could not have asked for a better home debut. After weathering an early storm from their visitors, Tottenham turned up the volume in the second half and swept United aside, attacking down the wings with purpose.
As well as playing on the front foot, his side showed fight and mettle to hold on to their lead. A fine introduction to his home supporters.