Louis van Gaal's reign as Manchester United manager started with a defeat on Saturday as his side slumped to a 2-1 loss at home to Swansea City in the Premier League.

Ki Sung-yeung put the visitors in front with 28 minutes played before captain Wayne Rooney volleyed United level at the beginning of the second half.

Swansea then made sure of a famous with with 15 minutes left through Gylfi Sigurdsson's effort.

Here, Sports Mole takes a look at the individual performances during a surprising afternoon at Old Trafford.

Man Utd

Goal

David de Gea: The Spaniard, who had little chance of keeping out Swansea's goals, did not have a great deal to do during the match. However, he provided a stable presence when called upon. (7/10)

Defence

Chris Smalling: United sorely missed Rafael's bombing runs down the right as Smalling struggled to add anything to his team going forward. (6/10)

Phil Jones: The energetic Jones made a number of robust challenges as Swansea pushed forwards towards the end of the game. With the home side's defence being fairly untested, he did a decent job at the back. (7/10)

Tyler Blackett: Considering that it was his debut, Blackett put in a composed performance. There is still plenty to work on for the youngster, but he was by no means a weak link for the Red Devils. (7/10)

Midfield

Ashley Young: Despite enjoying a positive pre-season out in the USA, Young slipped back into his old ways. Poor deliveries from wide positions and some questionable positional play made for an underwhelming showing. (6/10)

Juan Mata: Caused the Swansea defence a few problems with his clever movement, but did not do enough to assist Rooney in attack. (7/10)

Darren Fletcher: In the absence of Michael Carrick, Fletcher was United's metronome in midfield, keeping play going and retrieving possession when necessary. (7/10)

Ander Herrera: Showed plenty of commitment in midfield, but failed to link well with those ahead of him. That said, the Spaniard's enthusiasm is just what the Red Devils need. (7/10)

Jesse Lingard: Looked promising during the opening stages of the match with some darting runs down the right wing, but his afternoon was cut short by what looked like an ankle injury with just 24 minutes played. (7/10)

Attack

Wayne Rooney: Yet again, Rooney took it upon himself to get something out of the game for his side. Running tirelessly throughout, the United captain took his goal well by volleying in from close range. (8/10)

Javier Hernandez: The Mexican was a largely useless part of United's attack during the opening half before being substituted. With his future at Old Trafford reportedly in the balance, you get the feeling that he will need to impress Van Gaal quickly. (6/10)

Substitutes

Adnan Januzaj: The tricky Belgian spurred the hosts on when he came off the bench midway through the first half. His runs down the right added a different dimension to his team's attacking play. (8/10)

Marouane Fellaini: Did little in the heart of midfield to give his manager food for thought, but his presence in the penalty area during the final stages of the match gave United some hope of snatching a point. (7/10)

Nani: Another frustrating performance from the Portuguese, taking on two or three opponents one minute before whipping a poor cross out of play the next. (7/10)

Swansea

Goal

Lukasz Fabianski: The summer signing from Arsenal was unflappable at the back, collecting pretty much every cross that was pinged in from out wide. (8/10)

Defence

Angel Rangel: Was part of a Swansea defence that acted solidly as a unit. United did not have too much joy down the left due to his disciplined approach. (7/10)

Ashley Williams: A rock at the back for the visitors, Williams headed and kicked everything away. Not only that, but the centre-back also showed great leadership skills by keeping his teammates constantly on their toes. (9/10)

Jordi Amat: Working well alongside Williams, Amat can take equal credit for helping to keep United at bay thanks to an assured display. (8/10)

Neil Taylor: Struggled to keep a hold of Januzaj when the winger came on. Garry Monk saw that Taylor was finding things difficult and replaced him early in the second half. (6/10)

Midfield

Nathan Dyer: Usually a good source of running out wide, Dyer had something of a off-day as Swansea put most of their energy into their defensive duties. (7/10)

Jonjo Shelvey: A typically-robust afternoon for Shelvey, who mixed it up with the United midfield. Did not do too much in an attacking sense, but he frequently set his teammates away at the other end. (7/10)

Ki Sung-yeung: Took his goal well, though United will be annoyed that he was afforded plenty of space at the edge of the box. That aside, the Korean was all stamina and dynamic runs from deep. (7/10)

Gylfi Sigurdsson: Gave Swansea some much-needed creativity, sitting in just behind Bony and pulling the strings in the final third. You get the feeling that his return to the club will be a success. (7/10)

Wayne Routledge: Never stopped running for his team at both ends of the pitch. Bony often cut a lone figure up front, but Routledge did his best to give the Ivorian some support. (8/10)

Attack

Wilfried Bony: Despite having little to work with, the striker made sure that the United defence never took their eye off him. He would have known before the match that he would not have much service, but that did not stop him from working his socks off. (7/10)

Substitutes

Dwight Tiendalli: Replaced Taylor at the start of the second half and did a better job at stifling Januzaj. (7/10)

Bafetimbi Gomis: Caused some relative chaos when he came off the bench, running at the United defence and using his big frame to win the ball for his side. (7/10)

Jefferson Montero: Played a key part in Swansea's winner, crossing the ball into Routledge before Sigurdsson fired in. Not a bad way to start your career in the Premier League. (7/10)