United's woes laid bare in opening day defeat (Reuters)

In Louis van Gaal Manchester United have the big name manager, but 90 minutes of struggle against Swansea City proved that the 20-times English champions are still without the players required to bury the memory of last season\'s horror show. Dutchman van Gaal was drafted into Old Trafford in a bid to halt last term\'s alarming slide, when the 2012-13 champions finished in seventh place after a series of insipid performances under David Moyes, who lasted 10 months as Alex Ferguson\'s replacement. After leading the Netherlands to third spot at the World Cup, the Dutchman raised hopes that the force of his personality could lift the club out of the doldrums as United enjoyed an unbeaten pre-season that included wins over European champions Real Madrid and Liverpool.