Manchester United threw away a 2-0 lead in their Carabao Cup third‑round clash against Brighton & Hove Albion at Old Trafford
Jamie Redknapp
Jamie Redknapp blasted the Man Utd pair
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Jamie Redknapp tore into Leny Yoro and Ayden Heaven for their part in Manchester United's collapse, as a two‑goal lead evaporated into a 3-2 Carabao Cup defeat to Brighton. Both defenders were culpable in the build‑up to Pascal Gross' equaliser, failing to deal with danger when it mattered.
Heaven was badly out of position as Brighton broke forward, leaving Gross free to advance. By the time the ball reached the midfielder, the United youngster was nowhere near him, unable to recover or make a challenge as Gross arrived inside the box. Yoro also switched off at a crucial moment, failing to anticipate the threat and allowing his man to drift unmarked.
Analysing the moment on Sky Sports, Redknapp pointed: "You've got Yoro on the far side, Santos is getting pressurised there all game, kept giving the ball away. The ball goes to Ayden Heaven, get it out to Yoro, they're getting pressured.
"Ayden Heaven now has to sense instead of the companion doesn't get the ball, he now has to get across and sprint 20 yards to the centre midfield player that's going to score there, Pascal Gross. Instead, he's on his heels, he doesn't anticipate the danger, Leny Yoro does really poorly as well.
"Look at Ayden Heaven, get in there, sprint, there you go mate. Get to the penalty spot, instead, he's jogging, he's jogging. That's so poor from their perspective and what Leny Yoro does, I've no idea. What kind of an effort is this to stop the ball as it comes in?
Ayden Heaven and Leny Yoro
Heaven and Yoro failed to track their man before Gross equalised
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"Look at him, he comes across - then how easy is that [for Gross to score]. This isn't a five-a-side competition, this is a big competition.
The former Liverpool midfielder also cautioned that performances like that won’t keep them in the team for long. "You've got to go, you've got to be aggressive, both of them there, they showed their inexperience and if that doesn't change, they won't play for Man United regularly," Redknapp continued.
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"It's a simple as that - I don't care what the price tag is on them. That summed it up for me - that was the difference between Brighton's defending and theirs."
Just five minutes later, United shipped a third goal, with substitute Maxim De Cuyper completing Brighton's turnaround. The Red Devils had raced into a 2-0 lead inside the opening 10 minutes of the Carabao Cup tie, only to unravel in a defeat that could prove damaging for Michael Carrick's long‑term prospects at Old Trafford.
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Asked afterwards whether he had been 'sold short' with the squad he’d been given this season, Carrick insisted: "No, no, listen. The team's on me, so when we win, people say I'm doing a good job, and if we don't win or we don't get results, then a lot of it's on me.
"So I accept that, I'm not hiding away from any of that. That is what it is."
United now switch their focus back to the Premier League, with a trip to Fulham at Craven Cottage - their final outing before the September international break. They return to action on October 10, hosting Tottenham at Old Trafford.