[Matthew1972]

We have to stop conceding the easiest goals. Both goals were largely preventable with less brainlessness back there.

Thought we were okay collectively, but some poor individual displays just keep us looking quite blunt going forward.

On another day we nick the win without Zirkzee’s knee or Garnacho’s timid shot, but I don’t think either team deserved the win. 1-1 would’ve been the right result.

They way they play sometimes I wonder if they spend ANY practice time on defensive fundamentals. Is there a Defensive coach? Who is responsible for this shyte?

 

[NewGlory]

Very disappointing loss. Brighton didn't deserve to win but we also have nobody to blame but ourselves, poor management decisions, poor player effort

Loss aside:

1. most of our players seem to have gotten better at playing in tight spaces, well everybody except Maguire and Casemiro, but a clear improvement
2. we were getting caught on offsides too often. It is unacceptable for players at our level. We played better but 99% of our attacks were nullified because of offside Clearly an area of huge improvement in training

 

[DomesticTadpole]

In obviously annoyed we lost, but more importantly, I'm looking for whether we have improved, and so far, against Fulham and Brighton, we've certainly showed that.

People may say, it's only Fulham and Brighton, but last season, we were conceding chances left, right and centre.

I think, what let us down today was our attack. I still believe we haven't a strong enough attack to hurt teams. McCoist said we were toothless, and its probably the right word to describe us at the moment.

With that being said, on another day, we'd be walking away with a win. The offside killed us.

Think there are good signs, but yes we are toothless, with Hojlund out, this is when Rashford needed to deliver and he just isn't. Hojlund will be back, but it took him ages to get going last season. The subs today were momentum killers.

 

[Wolfbot]

Just an unlucky game for us. On another day, we win that comfortably. Need better decision making in the final third.

We've been saying that for a long time, it's become one of these deep rooted issues that is somehow never resolved.

Nearly every week the general assessment is if we'd made better decisions in attack, or taken our chances we'd have won the game.

It's not realistic to take all your chances, even some of the easy ones. Even the top teams miss many chances, but they create enough to win the game the majority of the time. We don't do the same and it becomes a 50/50 chance as to whether we get the winner/equaliser or the opposition does when we go for it at the end. This week it went Brighton's way.

 

[Stig]

36 games remain.
We were inches from being 2 1 up with 15 minutes left. With 6 points from 2 games coming.

BUT I don't see a top 4 team when I watch us.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

"Fan". Should be banned for this

or share it out.

 

[lex talionis]

Honestly, I know I’ll get pelters for this, but I’d think about benching Bruno and seeing how we look without him. He’s not bringing enough to cover over his deficiencies.

No pelters, but I would not pin this all on Bruno. He’s our best player but ETH is wasting him as a false 9. If ETH insists on starting Rashford, which is psychotic but it is what is, then have him up top with Bruno at his natural position and Garnacho left.

 

[mav_9me]

Yeah this is pretty much it, the more histrionic posters might be crying more of the same, but it's very different - we were well on top in the first half, recovered well in the second, and would have gone ahead if not for the unluckiest offside we'll see all season.

They are all out in force.

 

[kerrygold]

This game showed how misguided our transfer window has been.

This team desperately needed two midfielders and a striker. Mainoo and Casemiro were shot after 70mins and obviously we couldn’t trust Eriksen or Collyer to come on for them.

Zirkzee scored last game but myself and many others said the last thing this team needed was a false 9 doing his best work outside the box. He came on and did nothing and was barely a threat. We don’t have the luxury of having that type of striker now.

Weird as it may sound, I think when Mount came off we lost the control we enjoyed in midfield when he was on. I’m not his biggest fan but he works well in the press and doing the little things.

 

[Woodzy]

The worst part is that in ETH's third season we still don't know how to keep hold of the ball and control the game in the last 15-20 minutes of the game. Onana keeps hoofing it fwd, the opposition keeps winning the ball and attacking us. When the feck is that going to change? How many more players does he need do the basics right? It's so frustrating watching us just give the impetus to the opposition and pray for a fecking draw.

A lot of Onana’s passes were excellent and the only times we really looked dangerous started from him.

Still had his heart in mouth moment with that pass to Martinez followed by the slide tackle though.

 

[Matthew1972]

Needs another season and 600 million to get it right.

LOL!

 

[Tarrou]

I actually thought we were better compared to last season, but still a bit shit

 

[thisisnottaken1]

I actually thought we were better compared to last season, but still a bit shit

That’s basically my view as well.

 

[tenpoless]

Not to be dramatic but its getting tiring to me for the team to keep reverting back to their old mistakes. And its only 2 games in against a non favorife. Felt like a slap in the face just when youre about to enter a room.

At least I have an idea on how the team would look like this season and to set my expectations accordingly... Old habbits die hard. We signed a GK for the ball playing ability and all I see was a Brad Friedel hoofing the ball forward.

 

[yamo123x]

Poor fitness and poor managerial decisions cost us.

Why take Maguire off?
We had no legs in center midfield and were unable to keep the ball for any periods during the game

 

[onemanarmy]

I actually thought we were better compared to last season, but still a bit shit

Probably this. We do look better, mentally we are still terrible. Minor setback (offside goal) and we crumble.

 

[Gabriel Djemba-Bebe]

We've been saying that for a long time, it's become one of these deep rooted issues that is somehow never resolved.

Nearly every week the general assessment is if we'd made better decisions in attack, or taken our chances we'd have won the game.

It's not realistic to take all your chances, even some of the easy ones. Even the top teams miss many chances, but they create enough to win the game the majority of the time. We don't do the same and it becomes a 50/50 chance as to whether we get the winner/equaliser or the opposition does when we go for it at the end. This week it went Brighton's way.

Really? Last season the conversation seemed to be more focused around why we keep conceding 20+ shots a game. I don't recall there being too much frustration around failing to taking our chances. Our defensive structure looks a lot more solid so far this season.

 

[Matthew1972]

Betting odds that ETH is sacked before 2025?

 

[RDCR07]

Betting odds that ETH is sacked before 2025?

If he loses against Pool he is gone by October and rightfully so.

 

[saivet]

As someone who didn't watch the game was this a good performance that just ended with a bit of bad luck (disallowed goal and last minute goal for Brighton) or was the performance more concerning?

 

[Jezpeza]

We've been saying that for a long time, it's become one of these deep rooted issues that is somehow never resolved.

Nearly every week the general assessment is if we'd made better decisions in attack, or taken our chances we'd have won the game.

It's not realistic to take all your chances, even some of the easy ones. Even the top teams miss many chances, but they create enough to win the game the majority of the time. We don't do the same and it becomes a 50/50 chance as to whether we get the winner/equaliser or the opposition does when we go for it at the end. This week it went Brighton's way.

I dont think our winger options help. Bar Amad, the rest always try to be the hero. Is there any point playing Hojlund when Rashford, Antony and Garnacho are always going to try and shoot rather than give the striker some service? I dont think its a decision making process more that we play wide forwards who are always inclined to go for it themselves but if thats the case we need to set up to get them more central

 

[PieCrust]

Awful subs and terrible (non-existent) defending at the end. Think the false 9 experiment needs to end now. We just do not generate enough chances and are still pretty bad at building up through the middle, which is needed to allow through balls and balls to feet, which this tactic needs.

Against Liverpool, Zirkzee needs to start, Rashford to the bench for Garnacho.

 

[lex talionis]

Then call me delusional.

Fair enough, but I doubt anyone who’s not a United supporter would argue that Brighton didn’t deserve the three points.

 

[Andersons Dietician]

we made the bonkers Bruno/Rashford subs

I don’t get this, Rashford wasn’t great and generally it was a toss up between he and Amad , Amad even though he was making poor errors that killed moves was more involved in the game and had better use of the ball. If not for Zirks knee the sun that replaced Rashford scored.

Bruno ran his ass off for 60 minutes and then started to look tired and was getting very loose. They were obvious people to be taken from the game.

Put McT on to try and get some pressing energy upfront again which had left since Mount was taken off.

Both subs seem like sensible ones to me. The only real obvious error I saw was the one he does most weeks by starting Maguire.

 

[mav_9me]

Probably this. We do look better, mentally we are still terrible. Minor setback (offside goal) and we crumble.

How about 1-0 down we equalized? And basically should be 2-1 up? That's not a crumbling team.

 

[Spark]

Our priority should be binning Rashy and replacing him with a top attacker. Extremely unlikely. Long season ahead.

He is so fecking infuriating to watch play. Everything broke down through him. We badly need to move him on.

 

[Parma Dewol]

Too much silliness in this team, and has been for a long while.

There was one instance where Mainoo lost the ball in midfield and decided to press single handedly. Ran all the way to their goalie who simply dinked the ball into the huge space Mainoo had vacated.

In another passage, Zirkzee looked second best but did brilliantly to win the ball, keep hold of it, and play it through to Amad. All Amad had to do was stay in his own half but he wasn’t switched on and strayed into an offside position.

Then there was the disallowed goal. Unlucky, sure, but in those instances you’ve got to convert without contriving to get it disallowed.

I’m obviously frustrated after the game, and there will always be mistakes in football, but for so long now it has felt like stupid decisions cost us. For all the talent we very rarely seem completely switched on. On the rare occasion we look fully at the races a match for anyone, but those occasions are few and far between.

 

[mav_9me]

He is so fecking infuriating to watch play. Everything broke down through him. We badly need to move him on.

He is a bit of a black hole at this time. Nothing productive from him.

 

[Woziak]

7th place is now a big big concern. We can only hope and pray.

Don’t worry he’ll be sacked if he doesn’t have 20 points from 10 games, the litmus test will be if Sancho is sold loaned or kept, because if he’s staying, ETH might not last more than 6 months.

I think this current squad will be lucky to get 8-12th, no goal threat, no belief and we just seem to make the same mistake game after game, we don’t learn how to see games out and the main reason is the other team is always in the game because we can’t ever get 2/3 goals in front of the other team so we constantly lose results in the last 10 minutes of matches.

 

[McLvnsMuse]

1. The team has such a poor mentality in tight games…especially at the death. Panicked…rushed…clearly don’t trust each other defensively when it matters. Cos why was EVERYONE closing down the right side?!??

2. Bruno was a let down today. Still so inconsistent. Regardless…Scott isn’t an option. Offers nothing.

3. Second game this season that Garnacho has scoffed an open goal tap in. He was also poor today. Careless on the ball. No real impact. Liability re his defensive duties.

 

[Insanity]

A lot of Onana’s passes were excellent and the only times we really looked dangerous started from him.

Still had his heart in mouth moment with that pass to Martinez followed by the slide tackle though.

The one to Dalot in the first half worked well, but we don't need to keep doing it in the last quarter of the game. Why don't we try to keep the ball and pass it around to take the sting out of the opposition. Instead we keep hoofing it up and then opposition keeps winning it as we don't have players who are good at winning second balls or keeping hold of it. It is one of the reasons why we struggle to see out games and are always on the edge. A mediocre Brighton team with a 31 year old manager in his second game shouldn't look more adventurous than the mighty Manchester United.

 

[mattunited1978]

Different season, same brain dead clowns

Rashfords a fecking disgrace

 

[onemanarmy]

How about 1-0 down we equalized? And basically should be 2-1 up? That's not a crumbling team.

You think we have a mentally strong team?

 

[Beachryan]

I do feel like ETH is somehow cursed, but aside from that we definitely look better after 2 matches than his last two seasons. Got genuinely unlucky today, against a team we always struggle with, away. I felt when Moyes was given his first run of matches the 'totally random fixture computer' got a case of the 'narratives' and I honestly feel that way this season.

But onwards and upwards. Hopefully Zirkzee will be fit enough to start leading the line, and Maguire can be relegated back to the bench.

 

[bb8]

Very frustrating, but it's only one measly point in the end. Even if we had not had that unlucky offside off Zirkzee's knee, in the end the last goal we conceded was so clear and terrible. So it would've been 2-2.

At the end of the season, good chance the 1 point doesn't even make any difference. Just have to be a bit better at finishing and improve defensive positioning in the box.

 

[sparx99]

We've been saying that for a long time, it's become one of these deep rooted issues that is somehow never resolved.

Nearly every week the general assessment is if we'd made better decisions in attack, or taken our chances we'd have won the game.

It's not realistic to take all your chances, even some of the easy ones. Even the top teams miss many chances, but they create enough to win the game the majority of the time. We don't do the same and it becomes a 50/50 chance as to whether we get the winner/equaliser or the opposition does when we go for it at the end. This week it went Brighton's way.

Yep, unless we find a way to start scoring 2+ goals more often then we won’t compete for the biggest prizes.

I think on the whole we’ve been better defensively these first two games. Certainly compared to the wide open matches of last season. Both goals today were shoddy defending though.

Even last week missing the late open goal to make it 2-0 is just hilariously bad finishing. The disallowed goal today. You can’t have these things happening if you want to win PL games regularly.

 

[NZT-One]

We do look worse when mount comes off he gives us energy and closes players down. The problem with him and Bruno in there we lack a striker. Casemiro and mainoo is not a good combination if they require mount and Bruno to keep us from being over ran in midfield.

But it wasn't just Mount. We played really well in 1st half, playing onetouch, brave in the buildup, engaging high. And then it just fade away - only because of Mount?! It might be the reason but it doesn't feel right. And yes, a striker would be nice but who do you take out for it? Take Bruno off and you lose some edge - take Mount off and apparently the pressing goes away. Has to be one of the wingers then.

We needed to sign an out and out striker. Zirkzee is useful, but you will not get the output we require from him. Hojlund to come back, but how long will it take for him to get up and running. There are some good things, but unless Mount was injured why take him off, Bruno off, leaving Rashford so long. Very odd.

Taking Mount off wasn't a good call, with the others I am slightly with you. Even though I'd say it is a bit encouraging actually seeing Rashford and Bruno come off. Doesn't happen too often.

Difficult match - I think, we should have stayed with the team from the first half and tried to continue, what we did. After all the changes we looked like last years United-edition and nobody wants that.

 

[Resch]

7 minutes of extra and we had one plan, which didn't work, gave up every control and ambition.
New season, new players, but still the same. Maybe it is ETH, who is just not good enough to manage a club like United.
A new and good manager could change so much, everyone can see this in Salzburg. Without any new players (1 injured, 1 not registered yet), without their CBs (sold and injured), the new manager brought so many improvements. Aggression, dynamics, a match plan. Not everything is perfect, but every fan knows, a journey has started and it is a good one.
At United we see the same shit time and time again. No structure, no control, no dominance, but many headless chicken.

 

[RedC]

There was one instance where Mainoo lost the ball in midfield and decided to press single handedly. Ran all the way to their goalie who simply dinked the ball into the huge space Mainoo had vacated.

This was so incredibly stupid, I've no idea how a professional footballer can think that was the right thing to do.

 

[cj_sparky]

I think that we have made some subtle improvements, although we still don't create enough chances or take our chances when we do. We may be marginally on top in matches like today, but I don't think we are in complete control. It was incredibly unlucky with the Zirkzee knee, but it wasn't like Brighton didn't have other chances like when Welbeck hits the bar.

Not too sure what to make of it, it wasn't bad...it's just not enough.