Sir Alex Ferguson could only look as the latest attempt to replicate his legendary Manchester United stint got off to a nightmare start.
In a stadium where his name adorns one of the stands, the looming presence of the club’s greatest ever manager continues to cast a shadow. On Sunday, Erik ten Hag became the fifth permanent head coach to try and follow in his gigantic footsteps.
David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer have all failed, but hopes are high for Ten Hag - having honed his craft with Ajax. But his bright new era kicked off with defeat as Brighton ran out 2-1 winners, to earn their first ever victory at Old Trafford.
Pascal Gross scored both goals for the brilliant Seagulls, who richly deserved their historic victory. Diogo Dalot halved the arrears after the break, but never truly looked like engineering the kind of turnaround Ferguson made famous.
The Scot was in attendance for the disappointing reversal, now part of a think-tank which will help oversee the day-to-day running of the football operation. His involvement with the club has been under the microscope this summer, with hopes he can convince wantaway Cristiano Ronaldo at the club.
The debate over whether Ronaldo would start or not dominated the build-up, but it was his former team-mate who would steal the post-match headlines. Now in his ninth season since leaving United, Danny Welbeck’s time at the club is an often forgotten one.
But it was Sir Alex who gave him his senior debut and it was under his guidance that he became a United and England regular. However, two seasons after Ferguson hung up his hairdryer, Van Gaal made the decision to sell him.
That was a decision which Ferguson would have strongly opposed, had he still been in charge. That’s according to his old assistant Rene Meulensteen, who was asked after his transfer to Arsenal whether the former boss would have sanctioned a deal.
"No, definitely not. You look back through the history of Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United and we were always keen on bringing young players through and giving them a chance.”
That isn’t to say Fergie didn’t play a small role in his eventual departure though. Arsene Wenger decided to spend £16million on the academy graduate back in 2014 - but only on the say so of his old rival.
Squawka (via Pundit Arena) report that Ferguson and Wenger had a secret phone call where the idea of Welbeck going to the Emirates was mooted. And rather than attempt to dissuade the Frenchman, he is said to have told Wenger he ‘would be mad’ to not complete a deal.
Ferguson pointed to Welbeck’s brilliant work rate and team ethic, traits that were on full display eight years on, as he gave Lisandro Martinez and Harry Maguire a torrid afternoon. While Fergie may not have sold him had he been in charge, it was his green light which greased the wheels for his exit.
There is an argument that Ferguson’s resounding approval and recommendation for Welbeck didn’t quite translate into the top Premier League player many expected. But on Sunday, with his side in desperate need of a striker, Ten Hag must have looked at Welbeck and wished he was still in the red of United.
