Manchester United looked rusty as they slipped to defeat at the hands of Ajax at the Amsterdam ArenA, but there were some positive signs for manager Sir Alex Ferguson.

Record signing Rio Ferdinand looked composed for an hour before being replaced, while David Beckham showed no ill effects of the foot problem that plagued him during the World Cup.

Roy Keane also showed his summer troubles with Ireland have not diminished his hunger to play for United with a typically battling display.

But a fluent Ajax side got goals from Victor Sikora and Zlatan to send United to defeat in their opening game of the four-team tournament.

Paul Scholes grabbed a goal for United late on but it proved to be a consolation.

Scholes had earlier been the victim of a vicious tackle from behind by Romanian central defender Cristian Chivu, one of a number of crunching challenges from the Ajax side.

"Ajax had more aggression about the game than us," said Ferguson.

"Chivu was just playing his natural game and that approach doesn't concern me too much, but it's not the way we normally look upon these games.

"They were sharper than us in the tackle but we will improve and get the rhythm back into our game."

Sikora and Andy van der Meyde were a constant threat to the United defence.

The Red Devils' goalscoring opportunities were restricted to a wasted chance from Diego Forlan and a Ryan Giggs header that went wide.