Erik ten Hag's side looked like the worst version of last season, conceding a hatful of chances to the Norwegians and eventually getting punished.
Manchester United are back, but certainly not with a bang. Less than 24 hours after Spain beat England in the Euro 2024 final, the Red Devils began their pre-season campaign away to Rosenborg but they did not make the start they would have wanted to as they were beaten 1-0 in Norway.
In a deep sense of Deja-vu from last season, United rode their luck and allowed their opponents endless chances before eventually conceding at the death.
Czech goalkeeper Radek Vitek was United's busiest player and their most impressive but after making a string of excellent saves he was finally beaten by Noah Holm's strike from close range.
Erik ten Hag changed his entire outfield at half-time but would have been impressed with Mason Mount, albeit less pleased with the performances of Marcus Rashford and Casemiro, who did not show any signs of improving on their terrible individual seasons.
The manager was also not happy at conceding the late goal and losing the game, even though it was a friendly. Pre-season has barely begun, but it has become clear that there is a lot of work to do indeed.
GOAL breaks down the winners & losers from Lerkendal stadion
Getty LOSER: Erik ten Hag
Of course, it's only a pre-season game, and only the first one. However, the Dutchman was surely hoping for a better showing in his first match since signing a new contract with the club after coming dangerously close to getting sacked.
The manager has been given a new lease of life at the club, appointing two compatriots in Ruud van Nistelrooy and Rene Hake as his new assistant coaches and having made his first signing of the summer, Netherlands striker Joshua Zirkzee.
But this was a remarkably similar performance to the one United fans saw last season: offering their opponents chance after chance and praying that the ball would not go in. It might be a new pre-season, but it looks like the same United as last year. And that's concerning.
AdvertisementGettyWINNER: Mason Mount
It is fair to say that the midfielder had a horrendous first season at United, not even coming close to living up to his £55m transfer fee on the few occasions he did play in a campaign that was destroyed by various injury setbacks. He has a lot to prove, especially after being discarded by England.
But he acted like it and gave a lively performance, working hard off the ball and doing good things with it. The perfect example came when he set up United's best chance of the first half, robbing the ball high up the pitch and giving it to Ethan Wheatley, whose shot was saved.
He will need to do a lot more in the pre-season and then when the proper campaign begins, but it was a decent start.
GettyLOSER: Casemiro
Casemiro also has a lot to prove after having perhaps the worst season of his storied career. He has had almost two months off since missing the FA Cup final but he still looked tired and worn out and struggled to move around the pitch.
The Brazilian could be on the move in the summer if a decent offer comes in for him, with Saudi Arabia looking like his most likely destination if he is to leave. If he does want to stay and fight for his place, he must perform much better than this.
(C)GettyImagesLOSER: Marcus Rashford
Rashford must have found it hard to watch England play the Euro 2024 final against Spain on television after being left out of the squad, having been so involved in the last four tournaments for the Three Lions.
But there was little sign that he wanted to prove himself in this game and show Gareth Southgate what he missed by not taking him.
Rashford treated the game very much like a friendly and hardly got out of first gear. He had no shots on goal and created hardly any danger.
He has much more important games coming up than this but after the dreadful season he has just had, he needs to get sharp again and quickly.