After Manchester United lost 2-3 at home to Brighton, Andy Mitten from The Athletic wrote that the atmosphere among United fans has reached rock bottom, and the honeymoon period for INEOS has ended.

"I have been going to Old Trafford for 62 years and have watched 1,700 to 1,800 first-team matches, but tonight's performance was the worst I have ever seen," wrote Molineux on social media this week. He is the fan who famously unfurled a banner in 1990: "Three years of excuses, ta-ra Fergie."

"After we went 2-0 up, how could so many players, including substitutes, play so poorly for 85 minutes? I genuinely cannot fathom it."

The anger and disappointment among Manchester United fans felt genuine after the 2-3 home defeat to Brighton in the League Cup on Wednesday. This was the first time in 50 years at Old Trafford that the home side has lost after going two goals up. The last time United lost at home after leading in the first half was against Ipswich in 1984.

I remember that match well; it was the first Manchester United match I ever watched. Back then, the team was not expected to compete for the league title, but two decades of success that followed transformed the club, its fanbase, and everyone's expectations.

Without question, fan sentiment has now reached its lowest point.

But what has brought us here? The positive atmosphere at the club during pre-season training evaporated when Hull City beat Manchester United 2-0 in the opening fixture.

In the first six matches this season, Manchester United has won only two and lost three.

The usually calm Old Trafford crowd jeered the team at the end of Wednesday's match, and fans chanted in unison, demanding to know what was happening. Such scenes were common in the 1980s. When things went badly in the first half, thousands of fans would loudly call for the manager to make changes.

Can Carrick save Manchester United now? Can the manager who led the team to an impressive finish last season and Champions League qualification help the players rediscover their form? The club's hierarchy certainly hopes so, as their decisions are constantly under scrutiny.

The current situation is not just about poor results. There is very low trust between the fans in attendance and the club.

As usual, the Glazer family continues to attract harsh criticism for burdening one of the world's top football clubs with substantial debt, thereby limiting its operations.

INEOS, which arrived with fresh ideas, resources, and capital, has seen its honeymoon period end. The necessary staff reductions needed to stem the financial outflow from football operations have deeply affected many people. When Sir Jim Ratcliffe speaks publicly, his statements often fail to win approval. Promises to appoint top talent have also ring hollow as key personnel have departed in succession. These issues could be overlooked during good times, but once the spotlight fades, everything comes under scrutiny.

Manchester United maintains that reform is essential; after years of lavish spending, the club must stabilize the sinking ship and rebuild rationally and sustainably toward a brighter future. However, such rhetoric is hard to accept when Brighton delivers a thorough lesson to United's first team at home.

Criticism is widespread, with repeated reminders of the vicious cycle the team has experienced since Sir Alex Ferguson's departure. Manchester United's enormous size and global attention also burden the club. Almost daily, there is negative news about United. You may not have heard that United's actions last year led the Premier League to announce the Christmas fixture schedule earlier to help fans plan their travel. Could it be that because this was positive news for United, it was rarely mentioned?

Nonetheless, the club's challenges are undeniable. Debt is substantial, while competitors are debt-free and financially stronger than ever, backed either by state capital or billionaires. For most clubs, the Premier League is a source of wealth; for Manchester United, the Premier League has become a bottomless pit of spending.

The Glazer family has been the primary focus of fan protests since 2004, with many loyal supporters even forming FC United of Manchester. However, the Glazers also enabled the club to make major signings in pursuit of glory and prosperity, though these objectives never materialized. When they recognized financial pressure, they put the club on the market, allowing anyone in the world to place a bid to acquire or invest in Manchester United. Two parties participated in the bidding, but ultimately only one could provide proof of funds.

So now the club must rely on carefully laid plans to escape its difficulties, but previous rebuild efforts have repeatedly failed, making the road ahead challenging. The summer recruitment was weak, but it is too early to judge, as Yoro has not yet played.

Like many, I was frustrated that a new left-back was not recruited during the summer window; the need for reinforcements in that position was clear. But looking back to 1992, when Manchester United failed to sign David Hirst from Sheffield Wednesday and instead brought in the unknown, low-cost Cantona, I was also frustrated at the time.

The most direct indicator of the team's poor start to the season is the Premier League table. After five matches, Manchester United has the same number of points as at this stage last season, when they were also eliminated early from the League Cup. Despite having a worse goal difference last season, everyone felt far more optimistic then. Everyone thought things would improve.

Various match statistics have also been widely discussed, and statistical charts circulated on Thursday, causing strong frustration among fans.

"A casual fan looking at these statistics would think they look bad, but physical data must be interpreted with context," a top anonymous football analyst told The Athletic. "When a team dominates possession and the opponent rarely launches counterattacks, running distance and high-intensity running typically decrease.

There is almost no correlation between league position and physical data. In fact, teams with lower physical data rankings often have better control of the game's tempo.

Let's look at some more data: Manchester United ranks first in shots taken, third in possession (Brighton first), tied for fifth in goals scored, fourth in big chances created, fourth in shots on target, and second in Expected Goals (xG).

Comparing xG with Expected Goals Against (xGA), after four Premier League matches, Manchester United's attacking and defensive statistics are better than Chelsea, Liverpool, Brentford, Aston Villa, Everton, Hull City, Bournemouth, and seven other teams. I am not saying United played well, but some data is actually positive; the team simply lacks wins."

The analyst providing this insight is an authority in the industry and has worked with Carrick, and also supports the manager. However, data can be interpreted in many ways. United's data has some bias: the team played against Hull City, which actively ceded possession, and more than half of this season's xG came from the match against Ipswich.

The key is that if Carrick continues as manager, he needs the support his predecessor, Amorim, received.

Carrick once said: "I know this club, I understand the job, and I understand the expectations for the team's style of play, competitive level, and results. I understand all of that.

As for the club's future, ownership, and the length of my tenure, I am not even thinking about 'how long can I last.' It would be pointless to think about the length of my tenure in this position; I would not consider it."

Diterjemahkan oleh AI.

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