On September 17, Beijing time (CEST), in the third round of the Carabao Cup, Manchester United suffered a 2-3 home defeat to Brighton following a dramatic comeback. Local fans at Old Trafford witnessed two losses in four days. In response, TA stated that Manchester United players should bear significant responsibility, as there were too many basic errors in the first six matches of the season.

Reports indicate that Manchester United's recent problems worsened midweek when they squandered a two-goal lead at Old Trafford, ultimately being eliminated from the League Cup by Brighton.

Following a week marked by a derby defeat due to a controversial goal and 15-year-old prospect Leny Yoro requesting to leave the club, Michael Carrick and his team now face another blow: losing a match after leading 2-0 at home for the first time in 50 years.

The match began brightly, with Shea Lacey scoring just 8 minutes after his senior debut as a starter, followed by Mason Mount extending the lead. However, Brighton gradually found their rhythm and maintained a more dominant position throughout the match, while Manchester United continued making errors, with Kostoulas scoring before halftime.

In the second half, Manchester United's defensive disorganization worsened significantly. Brighton scored two dramatic goals in quick succession to take the lead, with Maxim De Cuyper and Pascal Gross finding the net within five minutes. Even when Manchester United introduced key players like Bruno Fernandes, Brighton remained dominant, and the substitutions had little effect.

Reporters Chris McKenna and Conor O'Neill reviewed the key moments from the Old Trafford battle.

After losing the season's opening match against Hull City, Carrick said: "It's just one match." But the situation is now very different. In just six matches this season, Manchester United has suffered three defeats.

Manchester United's manager will likely be judged ultimately on the league position rather than the League Cup performance, but this defeat is undoubtedly a major setback for him. With only one win in four league matches, and that victory coming against a relatively weak side like Al-Shabab in the Champions League, the situation is precarious.

The team desperately needed a solid performance to dispel accumulated external doubts and public pressure, but this result clearly failed to achieve that. It wasn't merely a simple defeat; the manner of this loss was far more embarrassing. The team scored twice in the opening 10 minutes to take the lead and initially controlled the game's tempo firmly, but from the midway point of the first half, the team completely lost control and never regained its familiar playing state.

Manchester United's midfield performed terribly both in ball distribution and in defensive phases without possession. The entire defensive line was almost constantly in a state of panic and disarray, frequently exposing defensive vulnerabilities.

Carrick's substitutions in this match failed to improve the situation, and with this collapse, Manchester United exited their first domestic cup competition of the season.

However, the players themselves must also shoulder significant responsibility. Across the six matches played so far this season, the team has committed numerous individual errors.

In the second half, boos and sighs of frustration resonated constantly around Old Trafford.

If they fail to earn points in their next Premier League match against Fulham, this international break will be particularly difficult for Manchester United's manager.

Why is Manchester United struggling to play out from the back?

In the early stages, Manchester United showed strong momentum and clear ideas. After taking a two-goal lead, it was natural for the players to relax slightly. But the drop in intensity quickly turned into carelessness: continuous passing errors at the back, confused communication between players, and the defense completely losing its composure.

Before halftime, Brighton regained possession 8 times in Manchester United's attacking third—the most times an opponent had won the ball in a first half since their match against Fulham in November 2022. Brighton are known for their high-intensity pressing, and Manchester United struggled to break their press, with a pass accuracy of just 80% in the first half, their lowest of the season.

Carrick fielded two young center-backs, Leny Yoro and Aiden Heaven, in this match. Against Brighton's physical play, both youngsters appeared very nervous.

Even setting aside Brighton's aggressive pressing, Manchester United's defensive line made several basic errors. Heaven fell to the ground with minimal contact while attempting to win a throw-in near the byline; Yoro attempted risky long passes several times, most of which were unsuccessful.

On either side of Yoro and Heaven were the more experienced Noussair Mazraoui and Diogo Dalot, but neither full-back provided the necessary stability to the chaotic and disorganized defense. Brighton frequently created threatening attacks down the flanks, with one goal stemming from a wide switch of play where the ball was played to Mazraoui's side, and he failed to effectively mark his opponent during the recovery.

Brighton's equalizer was particularly telling: Manchester United was mounting an attack in Brighton's half, but Dalot's rash long pass went straight into midfield. Under intense pressure, Sesko's header fell directly to Brighton's unmarked midfielder Gross, with Yoro and Heaven too far apart, leaving the central area completely exposed.

Brighton's winning goal epitomized Manchester United's sluggish defensive performance even more: Fabian Hürzeler's team launched an attack from their own third and tore through Manchester United's entire defense with just four simple passes, culminating in De Cuyper's finish inside the area.

How did Shea Lacey perform on his senior debut as a starter for Manchester United?

This week, the transfer saga surrounding Leny Yoro dominated the headlines, but the performance of the young player who scored Manchester United's opening goal in this match also deserves mention. The 19-year-old academy product Lacey became the first young Manchester United player to score in his senior debut as a starter since 18-year-old Marcus Rashford against Midtjylland in February 2016.

His 8th-minute goal was brilliant. Receiving the ball on the right wing, Lacey made a deft change of direction, cut inside to beat his marker, and despite appearing to have the option of shooting with his left foot, he skillfully placed the ball into the bottom right corner, demonstrating real composure.

Lacey had several other impressive moments. An early run down the right wing opened up Brighton's defense, he also won a dangerous free kick and completed 5 defensive contributions. Given the poor performance of center-backs Yoro and Heaven, he was one of Manchester United's few bright spots.

What did Carrick say after the match?

In his post-match interview, Carrick said: "During the first 25 minutes, we were in good shape, controlled the game, and did everything we wanted. Looking back now, it feels like a long time ago. The beginning and end feel completely different. But you have to accept that a lead won't last forever."

When asked if there were squad deficiencies, he responded: "No. Listen, full responsibility for the team's performance falls on me. When we win, people say I did well; when we don't get the desired result, most of the responsibility is mine. So I accept that, I won't hide from it. That's how it is."

Traducido por IA.

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