Youri Tielemans said it best when he admitted feeling United had “stopped the game” after taking an early lead on Wednesday night, with the Red Devils underwhelming after a strong start at Old Trafford.
It felt like it was likely to be a night to remember, with Mason Mount adding to Shay Lacey’s early strike inside ten minutes, with United’s high-pressing approach having a lot of fun in these early exchanges.
Instead of going all out, however, Michael Carrick’s men regressed so quickly and so visibly before simply languishing in a series of frankly unacceptable performances across the park.
Sitting in the Dream Theater, I felt a little bit poisoned again. It’s a story we’ve all seen in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era.
What it was like to watch Manchester United collapse at Old Trafford
United were praised for a professional display against Azerbaijan against Sabah a week ago, taking a three-goal lead after the break but effectively stalling the game.
Perhaps the men in red were hoping for a repeat of their strong showing against Brighton and Hove Albion this time around, but against stronger opposition all of the home side’s problems were highlighted.
In an attempt to “take control” of the game, the Red Devils simply relinquished momentum, with a series of errant touches and needlessly wayward passes all but getting the Seagulls back into the game.
In attack, there was no progress from the struggling Benjamin Sesko, with the Slovenian striker squandering a great scoring opportunity in the second half and inciting the wrath of the home crowd, while his replacement, Joshua Zirkzee, was even more ineffective once he came on.
Like the Dutchman, there were too many on the pitch who looked second best and couldn’t keep up, with Diogo Dalot, more than eight years into his Old Trafford career, facing a series of jibes for his laborious performances.
Much like the derby at the weekend, United allowed the visitors to turn the score around so easily but, trailing 3-2, there was nothing United could do, with only Marcus Rashford really enjoying a clear start in the closing stages.
It all feels a bit desperate and tense, and there are worrying signs early in the campaign. In fact, these dilemmas are best reflected in the performance of a dismal duo.
Manchester United duo look like new Fred and McTominay against Brighton
The only real positive might be the performance of Lacey, a 19-year-old hell-bent on becoming the new academy poster boy, surrounded by the circus that surrounds deranged prodigy JJ Gabriel.
Rashford, active on the other flank, was also lively and direct again, and although the wait for a goal or assist continued, he turned down a one-on-one later on.
Otherwise, it was a sad story indeed, with the home team looking on blankly from back to front, whether it was Karl Darlow in the sticks or Cescó and Zirkzee at the attacking point.
Manchester United player ratings vs Brighton | |
|---|---|
player | grade |
GK – Darlow | 5/10 |
RB – Dalot | 3/10 |
CB-pension | 3/10 |
CB–Paradise | 3/10 |
LB – Mazrawi | 5/10 |
CM – Santos | 5/10 |
CM – Tielemans | 6/10 |
RM-Lacey | 8/10 |
AM-Installation | 7/10 |
LM – Rashford | 7/10 |
ST-Sesco | 3/10 |
The biggest concern, however, is the performance of Aiden Paradise and Lenny Yoro at centre-half, with the young duo responsible as much for Wednesday’s drubbing as anyone.
The two have repeatedly been tipped as Manchester’s future stars and have even been hailed as the next Gabriel and Williams Saliba, but on current evidence it looks like they’re far from enough.
In many ways, this feels like a re-examination of the much-maligned duo of Fred and McTominay, a pair whose flaws lay in physical rather than technical quality, and who therefore often appeared incompetent on the ball.
Carrick’s centre-back partnership did, with Paradise taking on the role of Fred, the home fans’ biggest villain, so casual and so lax on the ball.
Time and again, the 19-year-old spent a lot of time clearing his defence, almost asking for trouble by trying to pass into midfield, which immediately put pressure on players like Tielemans.
Next to him, Yoro, the £50m Frenchman also had his moment, recovering well thanks to his pace and athleticism while also looking to push forward occasionally in McTominay style.
However, his struggles with the ball again became severe, causing problems for the team in front of him time and time again, and the sight of him, Paradise and Darlow frantically knocking the ball out from the back did provide encouragement to the visitors.
It was almost a hot potato game at times, with both centre-backs looking uncomfortable in possession, losing possession 23 times in total.
Where those two went for Pascal Gross’ equalizer was another story too, leaving the Germans with an acre of space after Sesco failed to regain possession on the midfield line.
Perhaps it’s unfair to place the blame on two young members of the starting line-up, but their respective performances did set the tone for United’s return, often drawing the ire of the home fans.
It felt like watching a modern-day McFred game, which, it must be said, was definitely not a good sign. Harry Maguire and Lisandro Martinez will be back at least this weekend.