PL Match Day 2 SOC – Brighton – Stretford Stateside

Welcome back to the blog!

If you’re too lazy to click over to the about page, these blogs are going to be synopsis of the games through the structure of the iconic 4-4-2. Each matchday, I’ll give my thoughts on the game via 4 takeaways, 4 players worth talking about, and 2 things worth saying that no one else might be. I’ll wrap it up with some forward looking things. The fun of writing this blog is to let out the fan, don’t worry about being absolutely right, and be unabashedly biased.

Quick Summary for Context:

Manchester United loses to Brighton and Hove Albion away at the AMEX. Danny Welbeck opened the scoring in the 32^nd minute. Followed by a Amad Diallo deflected finish in the 60^th. The dagger came from Joao Pedro in the 90+5 off a scramble from a corner. The stats bear out for a largely equal game between the two sides, summarized as really just a game of long momentum swings.

4 Takeaways:

The biggest, and most obvious, takeaway is that we came away with no away points. A league where champions league spots and title winning sides are soul crushers on the road, it feels as though coming away with nothing is a total gut punch. The subplot takeaway from this match is how unlucky can we get right now?!? And I don’t mean unlucky in a way where you miss a chance or a player can’t quite execute on a fantastic idea or we get scored on via deflection, those things happen. What NEVER happens, is being called offside on the opponent’s goal line. It might be the first time and potentially the last time ever where goal line technology was utilized in a VAR offside ruling. The worst part is that you wouldn’t ask a player to do anything differently there from a coaching perspective. Zirkzee efforted by trying to get on the end of the initial cross and Garnacho being careful with the finish to the center of the goal. It’s insane how it all went down, and going up 2-1 in that moment, potentially sealing a hard fought 3 points only to concede and come away empty handed is as maddening and sickening as I’ve ever been as a fan.
The game ebbed and flowed and really can be dissected into three thirty-minute spells of control. United came out with 30 minutes of controlled, cerebral football where we played from the back in what can only be described as ideal. The possession was smooth, we utilized our positioning to eliminate counter attacks when we did give the ball away, and once again the press was effective. We created several chances including a really poor miss from Amad and a Rashford goal pulled out of the back of the net on an offside call to highlight the bigger chances. Then the game flipped when Harry Maguire decided to watch a cross roll past him, ball gets through to Mitoma who slots it into none other than the pest Danny Welbeck who converted it to a 1-0 lead. Prior to that, nothing from Brighton but then they really took the game to us, especially the 10 minutes after halftime with chances that included a free header off the crossbar. The only positive is that we took the punch, and instead of going down 2 or 3 nil, we held on and then came the Amad goal in the 60^th minute. From there we continued to build attacks, including the utterly ridiculous offside from there until the 90^th minute. Brighton pulled some energy in stoppage time, got the corner, then got the goal to put us away.
The exact same starting lineup was quite the choice given all of the signings and roster movement, but if you take a pragmatic look at the “success” of the system the results are technically there as far as it being effective to what the system is trying to create. Players are working within the system, its why we are seeing a better Casemiro this season through 2 games. However, the system itself is confusing because it feels incomplete. Playing 2 false 9’s helps the press and condenses the lines so that it is easier to defend as a unit but it almost feels like it’s limiting some of the attacking upside by not having a box crasher. Is this a stop gap until we get Ugarte in and Hojlund back, maybe? I don’t think that Mason Mount has played poorly, it’s just when you look at his profile you don’t expect goals and the redundancy with Bruno is confusing. Picking up the double edged sword, yes the system is getting us more condensed and significantly less run at like we were last season but not having a true target man until Zirkzee came on at halftime really handcuffed our movement going forward. Still think we should have come away with a lead after the first half an hour, and that’s on the players.
The margins in the league are so razor thin, and we are spoiled as United fans where for most of our fandom we’ve been the boys in the grave at the death of matches but always seemed to find a shovel and dig our way out. Now we are in an extended period where we haven’t been able to find a shovel, in some ways we’ve been helping ourselves into the grave at the end of these games. The marking on the final goal for Pedro was inexcusable for any professional group of footballers to allow to happen. There were 8 United players marking 3 Brighton players with 3 more lurking at the back stick without a red shirt within 8 feet. I haven’t seen a more frustrating marking job in a crucial situation since the USMNT left Denzel Dumfries wide open at the back post in Qatar to let the Dutch send us home. Both terrible, both with consequences, this one hurts the most because beating Brighton would feel like a launchpad to next week and the season ahead.

4 Players Worth Talking About

Amad Diallo – He gets the goal, but in general the game was very poor. For me, he should’ve come off at halftime. He misses a sitter in the 10^th minute off a nice build and cross from Dalot, completely ruins a 3 v 2 opportunity by picking the only pass on the pitch that wouldn’t have been effective in the situation, and I counted at least 3 other give aways on build ups from the back that should have gotten into the attacking third but instead we are forced to defend again. Yes, goals count and can salvage bad days but if he wants to keep a starting spot he’s got to get more consistent with his decisions on the ball not being beneficial to the other team.
Marcus Rashford – This one is short, shoot the ball and start scoring or step aside for Garnacho and find a way to be a veteran leader for the club off the bench or during the long season but right now it’s not good enough to make runs that are always offside and a total lack of eye for the goal with a right foot we all know is capable of some magic.
Kobbie Mainoo – Played excellently and I hope the arrival of Ugarte can help him flourish by giving him a consistent team mate through the middle that Casemiro at his age can’t do. So many times I watch the ball come into Kobbie and he just gets us out of the pressure with his skill and composure, the little things he does by getting in on the attack and then providing a slide tackle to end a Brighton sequence is just something you can’t teach. I would like to see more of Kobbie on the ball dictating the offense but with two false 9’s in front of him the congestion won’t allow for that right now, but as the season goes on Kobbie with the ball will pay dividends.
Harry Maguire – Sang the praises last week and now here come the heckles. Before I get to the rage sentences, his game isn’t in shambles. His bad moments are horrific though. The decision to let what is nothing but a hopeful ball in to go across his face with no real pressure at his back and not see to it that the threat ended right there is mind blowing. It’s the type of lapse we’ve come to expect from Maguire, unfortunately. He’s got the quality to be a decent to above average defender but the risk in playing him is that all of his mistakes in matches lead to goals for the opponents. I don’t understand the decision there to let it roll through, and maybe some of that responsibility is on Onana for not communicating, but a player who has played as many matches as he has to let that through is incomprehensible. He’s got to lose his spot to de Ligt next week.

2 Things No One Else Might be Saying

The Bruno substation is only egregious because of the outcome, if we win or draw that match it doesn’t matter, plus if you think Bruno being on the pitch to defend that corner or something would’ve made the difference on the Pedro goal you’re a fool.
There must be a complete lineup overhaul heading into Liverpool, I’d start with Maguire, Amad, Mount, all coming off in favor of De Ligt, Garnacho, and Zirkzee.

Looking ahead to Liverpool, it’s basically a must win at home to prove that with Ten Hag we are ahead of Liverpool under a new manager. I’ll leave it at that for now as I’m still fuming from the loss today.