Erik ten Hag makes worrying Man Utd admission after Red Devils crash to Brighton defeat

Erik ten Hag has admitted his Manchester United players lacked self-confidence as they struggled to shake off a hangover from last season. The new United boss has admitted the aftermath of a miserable campaign was behind a disappointing opening day loss to Brighton.

"I can understand that after last year but it's not necessary - they're good players. They've done it and proven it so many times in the past, so they'll do it again. 'future,' he said.

United were poor in the first half, conceding two goals in nine minutes after the half hour mark, both goals converted by Pascal Gross. They were better in the second half – Alexis Mac Allister pushed in an own goal that halved the deficit – but didn't create enough.

"It was a good start, then after we went down a level and made mistakes, they punished us," Ten Hag said. “We have to give them self-confidence. We are not happy in this game and we will learn the lessons and move forward."

Ten Hag said he would have played with a central striker if Anthony Martial or Cristiano Ronaldo had been fully fit, but ended up playing Cristian Eriksen as a false nine.

United are hoping to give themselves another striking option by bringing in former West Ham striker Marko Arnautovic, 33, from Bologna. It is understood that if an agreement is reached, he will be a player in the team acting as a replacement for Ronaldo and Martial.

Graham Potter has praised his Brighton side for shrugging off the loss of two star team-mates and securing a first-ever win at Old Trafford.

Brighton lost Yves Bissouma to Tottenham and Marc Cucurella to Chelsea for a total of £84m. But that didn't stop them posting a first away win against United to give their new manager Ten Hag a nightmarish start.

"Losing the quality we have has an impact but the players were calm," Potter said. "Bissouma and Marc Cucurella are valued at such high prices that they suggest they are good players.

"I have a fantastic group of ambitious players who give their all every day. It's not easy to lose the players we've lost, but the collective idea is more important than any individual."

A double goal from Pascal Gross in the first half proved enough to register Brighton's first victory at Old Trafford in 14 attempts. Potter added: "You can see how many times we've won here as a club, it's not easy so when you get the three points it's nice to celebrate with the fans.

The Brighton boss was also keen to lay a fair share of the praise at the feet of Danny Welbeck, who led his front line brilliantly. "He was amazing today," the Brighton boss said.

"He really enjoyed his football and had the best pre-season and is really in good shape. It's hard to single out anyone, but it was a great day for Danny."