Erik ten Hag does not believe his decision to start Christian Eriksen up front in a strikerless formation had a major bearing on Manchester United's demoralising defeat to Brighton.
United lost their opening fixture for only the seventh time in the Premier League era in a 2-1 reverse as Pascal Gross's goals secured Brighton's first-ever win at Old Trafford.
Ten Hag played Eriksen, a playmaker also adept at playing in midfield, up front to offset the absence of the injured Anthony Martial despite the presence of Cristiano Ronaldo and Anthony Elanga on the bench.
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United improved in the second-half when Ten Hag introduced Ronaldo for Fred in the 53rd minute and Eriksen moved to a deeper role.
"When it was available, the striker (Martial), I would have played him," Ten Hag said. "Cristiano Ronaldo is now maybe for 10 days team training, that's too short for 90 minutes and that's the reason we didn't start him.
"Of course, we trained quite well and I think we made passing mistakes in building up, so that is nothing to do with either playing with a false nine or a typical No.9.
"I think [Eriksen] can play in more positions because we didn't have a typical No.9 I knew at Ajax a long time ago he played as a striker, dropping in, and I wanted to keep Jadon and Marcus on the wings, inside they were really good in pre-season.
"Finally, Christian Eriksen is the best in midfield and that was also the idea that he drops, gets between the lines and brings the game"
Ten Hag felt United started the game well and Bruno Fernandes spurned a gilt-edged chance at 0-0 before Pascal Gross tapped in from Danny Welbeck's cross to put Brighton 1-0 up.
The United manager admitted he noticed signs during pre-season that certain players lack self-belief and boos greeted the half-time and full-time whistles against Brighton.
"Yeah, but I can understand that after last year but it's not necessary," he explained, "because they are good players. So self-belief is something from yourself, bring it on the pitch because you are good. They are and proved it so many times in the past and will again in the future.
"I know it could happen (losing to Brighton) but I think we should have done better, that's clear. But also it will not come overnight, sometimes we played better in pre-season. Today, we had a really worse period during the first-half and we have to learn from that, that's also clear. I think so (there were warnings in pre-season).
"I think was a good start and then after we dropped down a level, we dropped down in belief and we made mistakes and the opponent punished us. But it's a good opponent, they work long together and when you make mistakes you get punished for that against such teams.
"The start was good, the second-half deal with the setback, I think we drop down in belief during the first-half and that cannot happen, always believe in yourself, stick together as a team, be convinced on the pitch, that's why we're here.
"Always we come back, we got back second-half we had the belief on the pitch, that was good to see, so they have to deal with the setbacks and they have to give themselves belief because they are really good players and when you construct a team, you play well and that is what we saw, second-half."
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