Man Utd suffer league opener defeat to Brighton

Manchester. — Manchester United fell to a 2-1 defeat at home to Brighton in their Premier League season opener on Sunday  United’s new boss Erik ten Hag was unable to get his side back into the game after falling behind early on  Brighton’s Pascal Gross scored a first-half double to put the visitors in the driving seat of the match

Cristiano Ronaldo was omitted from the starting line-up but was brought onto the pitch early in the first-half

First of all, it’s important to remember there were two teams on the field here at Old Trafford. Brighton and Hove Albion were superb. Playing this brand of intelligent, brave, expansive, modern football Graham Potter’s team will beat better teams than Manchester United.

But what of United? Well the best place to start is probably at the end. The end of last season. From this is where this desperate, dysfunctional performance has its roots.

In Erik Ten Hag, United have a new manager and who knows what improvement he may yet bring to these pastures over time? For now, though, the Dutchman’s problem is that he has largely the same group of players that failed Ralf Rangnick and Ole Gunnar Soslkjaer last year. Why, then, should anybody really expect anything fundamentally different?

Coaches and managers can improve players and they can make teams better. What they cannot do is produce miracles and with United continuing to labour in the transfer market, Tan Hag is working with a team that has been garnished a little around the edges but has been left short of the fundamental change that is required.

Here at a stadium that only really found its voice after Brighton’s Alexis MacAllister scored an own goal with 22 minutes remaining, United began with free transfer Christian Eriksen playing as a false nine. Then, after the introduction of Cristiano Ronaldo early in the second half, the Dane was asked to play in front of the back four. This is a debut he is not likely to forget.

United were out thought and out played. The only coach bringing real influence to this game was Potter. His team adhered to his plan in a way United never seemed likely to as regards theirs. — Dailymail.