Sunday evening presented Ruben Amorim an excellent chance to back up his talk of positivity and enthusiasm in the Manchester United camp with a resounding performance against Fulham.
However, once again, United fans were left disappointed as the home side earned themselves a point through an Emile Smith Rowe equaliser.
Leny Yoro's deflected header had put the Red Devils ahead in the second half when he nodded in from Bryan Mbeumo's corner, with the goal going down as a Rodrigo Muniz own goal.
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Manchester United had to settle for a point against Fulham on Sunday
|Reuters
But defender Matthijs de Ligt was punished for a lapse of concentration as the ball passed him from an Alex Iwobi cross to allow Smith Rowe to ghost in at the back post and score, while Bruno Fernandes skied a penalty earlier in the contest.
After dominating earlier in the match, Amorim will be furious that his side have yet to get going this season - claiming just one point out of six. But what did we learn today?
United still cannot convert domination into goals
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It was largely one-way traffic for United but they could not turn their possession into goals - despite the expensive arrivals of Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo.
They relied on Yoro's header to grab their first goal of the season through a corner routine, deflecting off Muniz. Ultimately, playing with a back-three, two wing-backs and two defensively-minded midfielders is not going to stir much excitement.
Ponderous play gets punished in the Premier League, no matter who you play. Amorim is still learning that fact.
The Bruno Fernandes era is coming to an end
Not long ago, this match would have probably been wrapped up in the first half. Fernandes would have scored his penalty, United would have shut up shop, and they would have left Craven Cottage with an unremarkable three points.
However, Fernandes' effort from 12 yards was astronomically poor - in fact, it might still be in orbit - and this is not the first time that the Portuguese midfielder has looked lacklustre.
Of course, at 30 years old, Fernandes is no way over the hill just yet, but perhaps shouldering the responsibility at Old Trafford for so long has left a lasting effect on the club captain.
There are rumours that Saudi Arabia are willing to fork out a enormous fee for the playmaker, perhaps it might be wise to accept such a bid.
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Bruno Fernandes sent his penalty sky high into the Thames against Fulham
|REUTERS
Kobbie Mainoo might need to think about leaving
Kobbie Mainoo has yet to make an appearance this season for United
|PA
It is still early days but Mainoo, once regarded as a hot prospect at Old Trafford, might be in for a long season on the bench.
It became quite clear that Amorim was not a massive fan of the 20-year-old in one of his midfield pivot roles. Fernandes, Casemiro and Manuel Ugarte appear to be ahead of him in the queue, a policy that has carried over this season.
And with the World Cup coming up next summer, it might be time for Mainoo to ask his agent if there are any possibilities of leaving United before deadline day.
A loan might suffice, just somewhere he is guaranteed game-time in a crucial campaign, and he might even come back a better player as a result.