According to The Athletic, Peter Molyneux, a Manchester United fan who has watched matches at Old Trafford for 62 years, criticized the team's performance in their 2-3 home defeat to Brighton in the League Cup this week on social media, calling it the "most disgraceful" display he has witnessed across the 1,700–1,800 matches he has attended.

Molyneux, who famously unfurled a banner reading "Three years of excuses, goodbye Fergie" in 1990, wrote on social media this week: "I have watched matches at Old Trafford for 62 years, perhaps 1,700 to 1,800 first-team matches, but tonight's performance was the worst I have ever seen. How can so many players, including those who came off the bench, play so poorly for 85 minutes after we went 2-0 up? I genuinely don't understand it."

Following Manchester United's 2-3 home defeat to Brighton in the League Cup on Wednesday, the anger and frustration among supporters was palpable. This was the first time in 50 years that Manchester United have lost at home after leading 2-0, and the first time since 1984 against Ipswich that they have been beaten at home after leading in the first half.

I remember that match vividly because it was the first Manchester United match I attended in person. At the time, there was barely any talk of the team competing for the league title, but the subsequent 20 years of success transformed the club, its fanbase, and expectations.

Without doubt, morale has now reached rock bottom. But what does this mean? The team's atmosphere during pre-season was excellent, but what good is a positive atmosphere when a 2-0 win over Hull City in the opening fixture squanders all that optimism?

Manchester United have won just 2 of their first 6 matches this season, with 3 defeats. The usually patient Old Trafford fans derided the team as they left the pitch after Wednesday's match, venting their frustrations through song. We saw similar scenes frequently in the 1980s, with thousands of fans demanding the manager "get the players in line" when everything fell apart in the first half.

Can Carrick sort out Manchester United's mess now? Can a manager who couldn't stop winning last season and exceeded expectations by reaching the Champions League restore the players to the right path as he should? The club's decision-makers certainly hope so, as their decisions are constantly being questioned.

The current situation is not solely down to poor results – it should be noted, including undeserved goals in the Manchester derby – but trust between fans and the club has hit an all-time low. The Glazer family, as always, are reviled for what they have done to this world-class club, burdening it with massive debt and restricting its operations.

For Ineos, which arrived with fresh ideas, energy, and real money, the "honeymoon period" has also ended. The necessary cutbacks to stop the club's constant financial bleeding in football operations have hurt real people. When Ratcliffe begins openly expounding his worldview, his words often fall flat. Promises of "top appointments" now seem hollow after those individuals have left the club. These things can be forgiven when the team plays well, but when that glow fades, they will be scrutinized closely.

Manchester United insists they must make changes, fix the sinking ship, and rebuild slowly, rationally, and steadily after years of excess, moving toward a brighter and more sustainable future. Yet when Brighton delivers a football masterclass to several of the first team, this argument is hard to swallow.

There has therefore been fierce criticism and endless emotional analysis about the vicious cycle since Sir Alex Ferguson's departure. At this point, the club's stature and the world's obsession with Manchester United are actually working against them. Negative news about Manchester United seems to emerge every day. You may not have heard this – Manchester United's actions last year prompted the Premier League to announce the Christmas schedule earlier so fans could plan accordingly. Does this reflect something positive for Manchester United?

But the problems are undeniable. The debt is massive, and competitors have no debt and are wealthier than ever, backed either by sovereign states or billionaires. The Premier League has become a bottomless pit for spending money, and for Manchester United alone, it has been a cash cow.

The Glazer family have been the primary reason for continuous fan protests since 2004, and also why a group of hardcore supporters left to form FC United. Yet the Glazers also allowed the club to spend recklessly in pursuit of glory and riches that never materialized. When they realized they were in financial trouble, they put the club up for sale, and anyone in the world could come forward to acquire or invest in Manchester United. Anyone. Two parties emerged, and only one could provide proof of funds.

So we can only rely on a complicated plan to get out of trouble, which starkly contrasts with past failed cycles, plans, or restarts. Times are indeed difficult. The summer signings look unremarkable, but it's too early to draw conclusions, especially as Yoro has yet to play. Like many, I'm disappointed the team didn't recruit a new left-back in the summer, as that position clearly needs strengthening. But again, I was also very upset in 1992 when Manchester United failed to sign David Hirst from Sheffield Wednesday and instead ended up with an unconventional, discounted gamble – Eric Cantona.

The strongest data for a poor start is the Premier League table, but Manchester United's points after 5 matches are the same as last season, when the team also exited the League Cup early. Although goal difference was worse last season, everything feels far worse now. It should be better.

Performance data has also sparked debate – distance covered statistics (14th), sprints (18th), and high-speed runs (19th) went viral on Thursday, and well-edited graphs were born to fuel public anger.

A top football analyst, who wished to remain anonymous to protect his position, explained to The Athletic: "To the average fan, this looks bad, but for physical data, game context is vital. When a team dominates possession and there are fewer counter-attacks in a match, distance covered and high-intensity running distance are almost always lower."

"There's almost no correlation between league position and physical data. In fact, if anything, teams at the bottom of physical data are usually more likely to control the game. I have some other data here: Manchester United rank first in the league for shots, third for possession (Brighton is first), tied fifth for goals, fourth for big chances, fourth for shots on target, and second for expected goals."

"Given the combined expected goals and expected goals against, after 4 Premier League rounds, Manchester United have performed better than Chelsea, Liverpool, Brentford, Villa, Everton, Hull City, Bournemouth, and 7 other teams in both attacking and defending. I'm not saying Manchester United played well, but some of this data is actually quite good. The team just needs to find a way to win."

This analysis comes from a leading industry professional who knows Carrick well professionally and holds him in high regard. However, data can be interpreted from many angles, and it's also undeniable that Manchester United's data is skewed because they played against Hull City, who enjoy surrendering possession, and more than half of Manchester United's expected goals this season came from the Ipswich match.

What really matters is that if Carrick wants to continue managing, he needs the kind of support his predecessor Ruben Amorim received.

When asked about his job at Friday's press conference, Carrick said: "I know this club, I know the role, I understand what the demands are here in terms of playing to a certain standard, reaching a certain level, and achieving certain objectives on the pitch, so I understand all of that."

"Regarding the future, ownership, and how much time I have left in this job – I don't think about that at all, like 'how much time do I have left?' It's completely unrealistic to think that way in my position. That's not my focus at all."

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