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

Molyneux, who became known in 1990 for holding a banner that read "Three years of excuses, goodbye Fergie," posted on social media this week: "I've been going to Old Trafford for 62 years, I've seen probably 1,700 to 1,800 first-team matches, but today's match was the worst I've ever seen. How could so many players, including substitutes, play so poorly for 85 minutes after going 2-0 up? I just can't understand it."

Anger and disappointment among supporters were evident following Manchester United's 2-3 home defeat to Brighton in the League Cup on Wednesday. This was the first time in 50 years that Manchester United has lost at Old Trafford while leading 2-0, and the first time since 1984 against Ipswich that Manchester United conceded a home lead after the first half.

I remember that match well, because it was the first time I saw Manchester United live. At the time, hardly anyone spoke about the team as title contenders, but 20 years of success since then have transformed the club, its fanbase, and expectations.

Undoubtedly, morale has now fallen to its lowest level. But what does that mean? The atmosphere was excellent during preseason, but what good is a positive atmosphere when Hull City's 2-0 opening-day victory shatters that optimism?

Manchester United has won just two of its first six matches this season, losing three. The normally patient Old Trafford faithful booed the team on Wednesday and sang songs questioning what is happening. We saw similar scenes in the 1980s, and thousands of supporters demanded that the manager "sort them out" when things went wrong in the first half.

Can Carrick now fix the mess at Manchester United? Can a manager who couldn't stop winning last season and exceeded expectations to reach the Champions League restore his players to form as he should? Club leadership certainly hopes so, as their decisions are constantly questioned.

Not only poor results—and it must be noted, including a goal in the Manchester Derby that should not have been allowed—have led to the current situation. Trust between supporters and the club has reached an unprecedented low. The Glazer family, as always, is despised for what they have done to this world-class club, burdening it with enormous debt and limiting its operations.

And for Ineos, who arrived with new ideas, energy, and actual investment, the "honeymoon period" has also ended. The necessary departures needed to stop the club's constant financial bleeding in football operations have affected real people. When Ratcliffe began publicly stating his vision, his remarks often fell flat. Promises of "the best appointments" now seem hollow after these individuals left the club. These things can be forgotten when the team plays well, but when the shine disappears, they come under scrutiny.

Manchester United insists that changes must be made, the sinking ship must be fixed, and the club must slowly, rationally, and steadily recover from years of wasteful spending, moving toward a bright, sustainable future. But when Brighton gave some first-team players a football lesson, that argument is hard to accept.

Thus, there has been much sharp criticism and endless emotional analysis around the vicious cycles that have followed Sir Alex Ferguson's departure. At this point, the club's size and the world's obsession with Manchester United actually work against it. Negative news about Manchester United seems to appear daily. You may not have heard this story yet—Manchester United's actions last year prompted the Premier League to announce the Christmas fixture schedule early so supporters could plan ahead properly. Does this reflect something positive for Manchester United?

But the problems are undeniable. Debt is enormous, and competitors have no debt and are richer than ever, whether backed by sovereign states or billionaires. The Premier League has become an endless money pit, but for Manchester United it's a cash cow.

The Glazer family has been the primary cause of supporter protests since 2004 and the reason a group of hardcore fans left to form F.C. United of Manchester. However, the Glazers also allowed the club to spend recklessly in pursuit of glory and wealth that never materialized. When they realized they were in financial difficulty, they put the club on the market, allowing anyone in the world to come forward with an offer to buy or invest in Manchester United. Anyone. Two parties emerged, and only one could provide evidence of having the funds.

So we must rely on a thin plan to escape this situation, which sharply contrasts with previous failed cycles, plans, or resets. Times are difficult. The summer signings look underwhelming, but it's too early to judge, especially since Baleba hasn't played yet. Like many, I'm disappointed the team didn't sign a new left-back in the summer, as that was clearly a position needing reinforcement. But on the other hand, I was also very frustrated in 1992 when Manchester United failed to sign David Hirst from Sheffield Wednesday and instead got a less ideal, discounted, unconventional option in Eric Cantona.

The most telling statistic of a poor start is the Premier League table, but Manchester United's points total after five matches is the same as last season when the team also exited the League Cup early. Although goal difference was worse last year, things feel far worse now. It should be better.

Performance data has also sparked debate—statistics on distance covered (14th place), sprints (18th place), and high-speed runs (19th place) went viral on Thursday, a well-edited graphic perfectly designed to provoke public outrage.

A leading football analyst who preferred to remain anonymous to protect his position explained to The Athletic: "For the average supporter, it looks bad, but for physical data the context of the match is crucial. When a team has possession and there are fewer counterattacks in the match, distance covered and high-intensity runs are almost always lower."

"There's practically no correlation between league position and physical data. In fact, if anything, teams in the lower half for physical data usually control the match more often. I have other data: Manchester United ranks 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."

"Based on combined expected goals and expected goals against, Manchester United after four Premier League matches has performed better in both attack and defense than Chelsea, Liverpool, Brentford, Aston Villa, Everton, Hull City, Bournemouth, and seven other teams. I'm not saying Manchester United is playing well, but some of this data is actually good. The team just needs to find a way to win."

This analysis comes from a leading professional in the industry who professionally knows Carrick and holds him in high regard. But data can be interpreted from different angles, and it's equally undeniable that Manchester United's data is skewed by playing against Hull City, who were willing to concede 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 continues to manage the team, he needs the same support his predecessor Rúben Amorim received.

Responding to questions about his position at Friday's press conference, Carrick said: "I know this club, I know this role, I understand what the requirements are here in terms of playing at a certain level, achieving a certain level, achieving certain goals on the pitch, so I understand all of that."

"As for the future, ownership, and how much time I have left in this job, that's completely outside my consideration, like 'how much time do I have?' It's silly to think that way in my position. That's not my focus at all."

Переведено ИИ.

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