Louis van Gaal's first competitive game as Manchester United manager ended in a historic home defeat at the hands of Swansea City.

A day that began with the Dutch manager receiving a rapturous welcome from the Old Trafford fans as he walked out before kick-off ended with his side being beaten at home on the opening day of the league season for the first time since 1972.

Not even a trademark Van Gaal tactical switch could save him from opening his Premier League account with a 2-1 loss, as his side produced a disjointed performance which underlined the scale of the job ahead of him - and the improvement needed in several areas.

Injuries, together with a lack of summer arrivals, saw Van Gaal give debuts to two young academy products - Tyler Blackett on the left of a three-man defence and Jesse Lingard at wing-back.

Midfielder Ander Herrera was the only new signing to line up for a United side that finished seventh last season, and it showed.

Wayne Rooney's overhead kick in his first game since being named United's new captain cancelled out Ki Sung-yueng's opener for the Welsh side, but some uncertain defending allowed new Swansea midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson to score a 72nd-minute winner.