They remembered The Lawman and Ruben Amorim will have to lay down the law to these small-time Manchester United players.
Amorim slumped his shoulders in the 57th minute. Three minutes later, his body language worsened as Brighton went ahead again.
This week was as huge as the Arsenal and Liverpool weeks. This was another backward step for a club that is seemingly incapable of moving forwards. This United squad has shown its true colours.
Amorim promised he would learn more about the United players this week than in those underdog performances on Merseyside and in north London. The conclusion is that the squad rebuild may be more drastic than Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s plans for a new Old Trafford.
Brighton have won their three past fixtures at the 115-year-old stadium and their successes become less surprising with each visit. The scoreline has read 1-3 in successive seasons.
It was a modicum of progress United were not trailing at the pause. But it is now four home defeats in five and in the one triumph against the Premier League’s basement club, they were minutes away from humiliation. Their seven home league losses is United’s most at this stage of a season since 1893-94. United were still Newton Heath in those Victorian times and did not play at Old Trafford for another 17 years.
United’s solitary goal was from the penalty spot. Joshua Zirkzee was an upgrade on Rasmus Hojlund in pressing, link-up and hold-up play, yet there is no solution to United’s goalscoring ills in this squad. Amorim outstretched his arms – a familiar sight – when Zirkzee had a shot blocked.
United did not have a shot on target apart from Bruno Fernandes’s penalty. Darren Fletcher left his seat next to the analysts with time still on the clock.
Amorim has almost as big a problem up the other end. Andre Onana, closely associated under the previous manager, appears incompatible under this manager. Porous for a disallowed goal, Onana was then rooted to his line as it floated into the six-yard box for Kaoru Mitoma.
The worst was to come. Onana demonstrated why he is reluctant to exit his six-yard area for a cross when he spilled the ball into the feet of Georginio Rutter to end the contest. Onana buried his face into the turf.
He spent the next few moments standing outside the area, possibly to clear his own head away from any voluble supporters behind him. You can see why Amorim wants a new ‘keeper this year.
Onana promised “risks” in pre-season and there has been scant evidence of that. He is not the ball-playing goalkeeper he was billed as and is as rooted to his line as David de Gea.
They played Heroes by David Bowie and Lily the Pink as kick-off loomed. The latter is a song synonymous with Eric Cantona yet it was The King that United supporters drank a drank a drank to. A lone piper led out the teams, ostensibly playing the Flower of Scotland, yet was inaudible as a microphone had not been attached.
Denis Law’s teammates, Paddy Crerand, Alex Stepney and Brian Kidd, as well as his great friend Sir Alex Ferguson, assembled in the centre circle for a pre-match tribute. An elegant poem, penned by an anonymous supporter, was read. Men were misty-eyed. Amorim and Fabian Hurzeler acknowledged Ferguson as he headed back indoors.
The dignified tributes to Law preceded another uneasy start from United. One might have been inclined to excuse them for another dire opening amid the poignant remembrance. Alas, they have now conceded inside the first five minutes in three of their past five home matches
Danny Welbeck offered Ferguson an embrace before he headed off the pitch. Welbeck, applauded by United fans when he was substituted in the second half, was not as charitable after the first whistle. Brighton fans were so convinced he had claimed his seventh goal against his boyhood club they sang Welbeck’s name. The scorer was, in fact, Yankuba Minteh.
Joao Pedro had already fired a warning shot before Minteh’s tap-in. Noussair Mazraoui has been a respectable signing by United but opponents are starting to find chinks in his armoury and he did not get close to Kaoru Mitoma for the first or second goals.
United’s attack is light enough and will possibly be depleted by one or two departures this month. If Amad is a one-man band, he has found someone to duet with in Zirkzee. Their pressing was key to securing the penalty that Fernandes stroked into the bottom left corner on 23 minutes.
Zirkzee, finally back in for the prosaic Hojlund, was entrusted by Fernandes to lead the charge. The Dutchman’s body language is unrecognisable from the lackadaisical misfit who was hooked in the 33rd minute against Newcastle. Hojlund was still instructed to warm up as soon as the second half started but when Zirkzee’s number was up the Stretford End sang his name. When Hojlund chased a hoik, the ball hit his back.
Hojlund was dropped whereas Lisandro Martinez’s workload was managed with a rotational switch at the back. The recalled Harry Maguire was sandwiched between Matthijs de Ligt and Leny Yoro, moved from right to left. The trio were still on their heels when Carlos Baleba dinked the ball over Mazraoui for the majestic Mitoma.
Yoro, the preserve spread over Kamaldeen Sulemana’s toast in the Southampton comeback, had a calmer afternoon. Maguire was pitted directly against the nuisance Welbeck and his unnecessary clearance with Onana breathing down his neck to gather the ball flagged the tension in the United backline. Amorim, sensing the anxiety, offered encouraging applause.
He had earlier smacked his hands together in exasperation at Diogo Dalot’s misjudgement. Dalot’s more physical duel with Jan Paul van Hecke denied Brighton a second goal as the VAR ordered referee Peter Bankes to consult the pitchside monitor. United players gathered a matter of yards away and felt the replay conclusively showed Dalot was kicked. Bankes belatedly agreed.
That debacle came from another set piece. The reprieve would have galvanised a good side. United are not that.
A Brighton analyst branded the call “soft” while another complained that Dalot had already kicked the ball. Seconds later, he was on his feet.
“We thought you were bad, but you’re so s**t,” crowed the Seagulls. Amorim shook his head.
