Opinion: Lack of transfers is an issue but Erik ten Hag’s decision backfired in Manchester United’s defeat to Brighton.
The lineup of Man United’s team was inconsistent with how they trained throughout the offseason under Erik ten Hag, who was responsible for their first-ever home loss to Brighton.
Under their fourth different manager, Manchester United was defeated by Pascal Gross’ tap-in goal. Then Gross struck once more for Brighton. Gross once more for United
During the pause, there were jeers. Stumped United supporters stood with their arms crossed and their cheeks puffed out. At full time, the reactions remained the same. Season new, United old.
Richard Arnold, the CEO, and John Murtough, the director of football, sat in the directors’ box and grimaced. As they were moved to the stands with the analysts, Darren Fletcher and the goalkeeping coaches had to navigate the crowds and mingle with fans. Two minutes before the last shriek, Fletcher made a wise move by heading inside.
Avram Glazer, the co-chairman, had even traveled across the Atlantic. Long before Gross was injured, the slogan “We want Glazers out” was circulated, and the defeatist attitude among United supporters has only grown worse.
If you don’t plan, you’ll fail. Without quality additions, the current United team will be competing in the Europa League and facing off against the Champions League elite in May. The favorable preseason proved deceiving.
The audience sighed at Scott McTominay’s pointless flick, and Luke Shaw needed to be persuaded to spring for Danny Welbeck. Exasperated murmurs could be heard directed at Marcus Rashford. This is not an auspicious August.
United should not have needed to be reminded that you cannot meander against Brighton after the horrific disaster at the Amex Stadium in May, but they did.
Under one of the league’s most forward-thinking coaches, Brighton still have a defined playing style and structure despite the absence of Yves Bissouma and Marc Cucurella. Their 2-0 lead at the break did not make them seem good.
United appear to be exactly what they are: a squad without a commanding midfielder and a reliable goal scorer. Scott McTominay, who required six touches in the final third, ran down the ball, and fouled Moises Caicedo with excessive passion, perfectly encapsulated the midfield slump.
Caicedo, who was previously a United target, overruled his former teammates for the second time. The Seagulls cried, “Down with the Palace.”
In the directors’ box, Ten Hag cannot conceal himself behind the United suits. The use of Christian Eriksen up front deviated from United’s preseason plan of starting a center forward in that position.
Ten Hag still had Cristiano Ronaldo or Anthony Elanga at a stretch even without Anthony Martial. Even Alejandro Garnacho showed up later.
In response to Gross’s initial goal, Ronaldo pleaded with his teammates to respond. They failed to. Early in the second half, Ronaldo was eventually called upon to replace the despondent Fred after Eriksen had been pushed deep.
Ten Hag accompanied Ronaldo, who had not scored since February and had been ineffective in preseason, to help lessen the blow of his benching.
Ultimately, United improved and scrupulously scored from Bruno Fernandes’ corner through Alexis Mac Allister’s own goal on 68 minutes with Ronaldo on and Eriksen moved as a deep-lying playmaker.
You play your top players, as Sir Alex Ferguson observed after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer benched Cristiano Ronaldo the previous season.
Ten Hag lamented a lack of options up front more than two weeks ago, and it was obvious, albeit made worse by his tactical blunder. Ronaldo made a difference for United while he was on the field, and United will suffer more devastating back page splashes if they lose without him.
After he missed two clear opportunities, Ten Hag may now see it was foolish to give Rashford, who aspires to play at the tip of the arrow, such responsibility. The review proved that Ronaldo, who was penalized for offside in the first instance, was in fact onside. For the second, Rashford did not anticipate the ball dropping to him and he stretched and snatched at it desperately.
The final person to leave the tunnel, Ten Hag, received a standing ovation and a high-five from Fred the Red. The players’ body language, which was no longer defeatist and dejected, matched the upbeat mood that permeated the arena. That was the height of the afternoon.
After last week’s offenses, all of the players who were not used or available gathered in the directors’ box and remained seated at the final horn.
The Megastore was closed, but a supporter who saw the demonstration outside the stadium messaged to say that many of the demonstrators were wearing replica shirts, which undermined the cause. Only three times in the past three years had co-chairman Glazer attended. Almost three and a half years have passed since Joel, his brother, left the country.
