Feyenoord 1-0 Manchester United: Five Talking Points

Manchester United started their Europa League campaign with a disappointing 1-0 loss to Dutch side Feyenoord.

Tonny Vilhena scored the winning goal with just 11 minutes remaining at De Kuip, consigning Jose Mourinho's side to a second consecutive defeat after they lost the Manchester derby on Saturday.

Did Marcus Rashford miss his chance? Will United get back on track against Watford on Sunday? Here are five talking points from the game...

Mourinho rings the changes

Jose Mourinho pulled no punches on his players after United's 2-1 defeat to City in Saturday's Manchester derby and admitted the Europa League was not his priority in the build-up to the trip to Feyenoord, so it was no surprise to see him ring the changes to his starting line-up.

David de Gea, Eric Bailly and Paul Pogba were the only survivors as Mourinho made eight changes. Full-backs Marcos Rojo and Matteo Darmian made their first competitive appearances under the new manager, while Marcus Rashford, Chris Smalling and Morgan Schneiderlin were given their first starts. It was an opportunity for squad players to impress, but none of them took advantage.

Tricky night for Rashford

Rashford has had to be patient under Mourinho, with Zlatan Ibrahimovic the undisputed first-choice striker and others preferred on the flanks. It's a far cry from last season when the teenager burst onto the scene under Louis van Gaal, but a hat-trick for England's U21s was a reminder of his ability, and Mourinho said he had earned a starting spot after the Manchester derby.

Against Feyenoord, though, Rashford struggled to make an impact. He was hardly given an inch by centre-backs Eric Botteghin and Jan-Arie van der Heijden, and he wasn't helped by the lack of movement from team-mates around him. When he was substituted in the 63rd minute, he had not mustered a single shot on target or created any chances.

Rashford was not alone in struggling - it was a disappointing night for Pogba, too - but Mourinho will have noted that United looked far more threatening with Ibrahimovic on the pitch. The youngster might need to show more patience in the weeks ahead.

More defensive concerns for Mourinho

After being so comprehensively outplayed by Manchester City in the first half of Saturday's game, Mourinho will be more concerned by United's defensive performance against Feyenoord than their attacking struggles. Having conceded just once in their first three games of the campaign, they have now conceded three in their last two.

Mourinho can point to a missed offside call in the build-up to Feyenoord's winner, but there can be no excuses for how easily they were carved open. Rojo was woefully out of position as Nicolai Jorgensen crossed from the right-hand side, while the returning Smalling looked less comfortable than usual in an unfamiliar role on the left-hand side of their central defence.

Luke Shaw and Antonio Valencia are likely to be restored for Sunday's trip to Watford, but Mourinho's defence still looks like a work-in-progress.

Unhappy homecoming for Memphis

Memphis Depay was the Eredivisie's top scorer and player of the season in his final year at PSV Eindhoven, but this was not a happy return to his homeland. The Netherlands international has only played a single minute of Premier League football since Mourinho took over, and his second half cameo at De Kuip is unlikely to have changed his manager's thinking.

Depay was certainly eager to impress, attempting more shots than any other player in just half hour on the pitch, but none of his four efforts hit the target. He had a chance to change things when United won a free kick in a dangerous position in the 89th minute, but with plenty of targets to aim at in the box, his looping delivery sailed straight out for a goal kick.

Can United get back on track?

After starting the season with three consecutive wins, the last five days have been something of a reality check for United. The Manchester derby showed Mourinho's side are a long way behind their closest rivals, and this was an unexpected defeat, but United can go some way to restoring their early season optimism with a victory at Vicarage Road on Sunday.

They will travel to Hertfordshire as strong favourites, but Watford put four goals past West Ham at the London Stadium on Sunday, and United will need to show significant improvement to ensure this blip does not become something more troubling.

Credit: Skysports.com