David Moyes’ reign at Manchester United began with an embarrassing upset on Saturday as his highly paid footballers slumped to a 1-0 defeat against Thailand’s All-Star XI in Bangkok.

The new manager sat grim-faced on the bench as the feted visitors failed to recover after falling behind early in the second half.

The Premier League champions cannot even say the goal was against the run of play after scorer Teeratep Winothai had had two of the best chances of the game up to that point.

The result, albeit in a meaningless friendly and with a youthful team, will not ease the task of Moyes as he seeks to follow Alex Ferguson’s 27-year, 38-trophy stint at the world’s most famous club.

Fans had paid up to 4,000 baht ($130) for tickets but they may have been feeling short-changed after a slow start to the match on a sultry evening in Bangkok.

Moyes played Danny Welbeck as a lone striker in his first line-up, weakened by a number of absences including Robin van Persie and the unsettled Wayne Rooney, who abruptly left the tour with a hamstring injury.

Moyes will hope for better from his players on the rest of the trip to Australia, Japan, Hong Kong and Sweden, before they begin their Premier League title defence on August 17.

But he can at least console himself that Ferguson’s time in charge also started inauspiciously, with a 2-0 defeat at Oxford United in 1986.

The squad will arrive in Sydney on Sunday.