Photo by Mark Cosgrove/News Images/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Photo by Mark Cosgrove/News Images/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Manchester United were outdone by a more physical Brighton side in the 3-2 defeat at Old Trafford.
Brighton under Fabian Hurzeler and his predecessors have a reputation for being a highly-technical and tactically adaptable side. But they are also very strong physically.
In their 3-2 away win at Old Trafford, the Seagulls leaned into this to fight back into the game and break up United’s early rhythm.
Brighton committed 14 fouls compared to only five by Manchester United. And these were the ones the referee called. Benjamin Sesko was wiped out in the lead-up to Brighton’s first goal. It was not awarded. Mark Clattenburg told UIF that it could have been deemed a foul, but it was a subjective call. Some will go for you and some won’t.
United were too soft against Brighton. Poor off the ball and poor on it. Brighton’s second goal came from a direct ball that by-passed the midfield, before the calamitous attempts to tackle Pascal Gross.
As the game went on, you could see United’s players reluctant to take on their Brighton counterparts, and just trying to play through them, amid limited space. Even the crowd had given up by the end.
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United need to be nastier
I expressed some concern during the transfer window about the make-up of United’s midfield signings. Carlos Baleba, Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans are all good footballers like Kobbie Mainoo, but there is nobody there who is scary.
Casemiro had it. Roy Keane had it in spades. A player who was an enforcer who would tackle through you, who would not shy away from the nasty side of the game. I am not sure that United have one of these in midfield.
Even up front, my biggest complaint with Benjamin Sesko is that he does not play to his stature. He is too nice and backs out of too many challenges. We need a Mark Hughes type in attack – especially as an alternative. Joshua Zirkzee is a total non-entity.
There are two players in the current squad who are capable of doing the ‘nasty’ work, both of who sat out the game against Brighton. Both Lisandro Martinez and Harry Maguire are unafraid to leave the boot in, and throw out an elbow. Matthijs de Ligt will also be an option when he is eventually fit.
But that toughness is not evident through the spine of the team.
I was happy that United signed three midfielders in the summer, the quantity was needed. But I am not convinced the balance of the trio was right, even if they were cost effective. United need a true enforcer, or they need to develop into a tougher team.
Go back to the opening day of the season against Hull City. United were knocked about and looked a level below, physically. They were outran by the Tigers, who covered more distance, sprinted more, and crucially scored two goals.
That defeat set the tone for what we are seeing, and the players need to find a way to fight, and develop a harder edge to their games. At the moment it is just too easy for opponents.
You could also make the argument that teams take on the characteristics of their manager. Look at Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid, upcoming opponents with a nasty streak. Carrick had a lot of qualities as a player, but nastiness was not one of them. He found a way to work around this, and he must find a way for his team to do the same.