After Man Utd’s most recent loss to Brighton at Old Trafford, the manager reiterated that the team is not in trouble.
A Premier League club was enjoying their busy transfer period. Before the transfer window closed, fans gathered outside the training facility to welcome a new addition. There was also a record win at a top-six team.
The manager lacked the same enthusiasm. He confided, “Good players, but not what I need.” After seven months, he was fired.
The same card cannot be played by Erik ten Hag. He primarily has everything he needs and talented players. However, Manchester United’s season has had a downturn since it began, and even its most upbeat fans must admit that the Premier League trophy won’t have red, white, and black ribbons tied to it in May.
It never made sense to challenge for the championship. United are currently getting closer to the Championship.
The tacky handling of Mason Greenwood’s abandoned reintegration put an end to the relative optimism of preseason, and the United communications staff has had a fire to put out every week since. Billowing smoke is still present.
Greenwood, Jadon Sancho, Antony, and defeats at Brighton, Tottenham, and Arsenal. With a pileup to rival the Tories, United are a car accident.
Ten Hag asserted coolly that there was no emergency on Saturday. He must believe that United’s conquerors’ secrecy protects them. Last season, Tottenham, Brighton, and an improved Arsenal all finished in the top eight. United losing three of their opening five league games is still a first in 34 years, and crisis management was used to address the Greenwood, Sancho, and Antony problems. When Ten Hag entered the Stretford End at full speed, it was only partially occupied.
After Brighton won, there was no planned protest from fans against the Glazer family after the game. Joel Glazer did not pass up a player who was a specialized right winger or recall a player who was a transfer candidate in the summer, despite the fact that the family’s ownership has been anathema to the majority of United supporters for more than ten years.
It was too foreseeable from Ten Hag to move Bruno Fernandes to the right, and it created problems elsewhere. For the first time, Scott McTominay and Casemiro started in midfield, with Christian Eriksen playing a more prominent position. As a No. 10, Eriksen has played poorly for United twice, and McTominay was beaten by Ten Hag almost a year ago. When Casemiro was out of the lineup for his prior five league starts, it.
With a stable center trio and Facundo Pellistri starting, United would have had a diligent winger to monitor the excellent Tariq Lamptey. In the opening 15 minutes, as Brighton’s coach Roberto de Zerbi acknowledged, they “suffered” as they tried to understand United’s shape-shifting. Brighton’s lead was rarely threatened after Danny Welbeck scored after 19 minutes.
Despite Brighton’s outstanding performance, De Zerbi made six adjustments to the team that defeated Newcastle. While the first two of Danny Welbeck and Adam Lallana’s international peak with England were under Roy Hodgson in 2014, he changed goalkeepers, Pervis Estupian and Solly March were unavailable, and Evan Ferguson was on the bench. No big deal.
De Zerbi sighed, “We are used to working in this manner. Brighton took advantage of United’s tight formation, loose midfield, and lone full-backs. All three goals were scored by moving the ball down the flank and working it into the center of the field, where United was a sieve-like opening.
De Zerbi stated his appreciation for having a choice of two players for each position. Ten Hag only gushed about the team United had “constructed” on Friday. United and Brighton both dealt with injury issues.
