The Red Devils were expected to build on last season's progress, but instead it feels like they are back to square one
Erik ten Hag's Manchester United reign began with a home defeat to Brighton and, 13 months on, there was a huge sense of deja-vu after the Seagulls ran riot at Old Trafford on Saturday, winning 3-1 to end United's year-long unbeaten home run. Brighton had a different man in charge back then, and even though they were going places under Graham Potter, they have made a stunning improvement under the guidance of Roberto De Zerbi, who has led them into Europe for the first time.
United, meanwhile, look back to square one. They are as weak, if not weaker, defensively than at the start of last season, and they are seriously lacking creativity in attack. Marcus Rashford was the only player who looked capable of causing much damage on Saturday, with Bruno Fernandes looking stunted, Christian Eriksen struggling to have an impact and Casemiro looking shorn of all the power and class he showed last season.
Where do United go from here? Last August, they still had time to remedy their problems in the transfer market, signing Casemiro and then Antony. But now, they have already done their business and the transfer window shut two weeks ago. Meanwhile, they are without Antony and Jadon Sancho for indefinite periods for non-sporting reasons and have a worryingly long injury list, just three aspects of a spiralling of problems for Ten Hag over the last three months.
Ten Hag's arrival last season brought hope to United after a series of bad coaching hires since Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement. He delivered a first trophy in six years and seemed to have raised standards off the pitch. But rather than kick on this season and mount a title challenge, it feels as if they are going backwards.
GettyPassive defending
United actually made a good start against Brighton, looking dangerous for the opening 15 minutes. But the Seagulls scored with practically their first chance, aided by some very weak defending.
Debutant Sergio Reguilon was caught out of position and a simple pass took him out of the equation, leaving Danny Welbeck to release Simon Adingra down the right wing and drift into the area. Lisandro Martinez made a feeble effort to try and block Adingra's cross while Victor Lindelof lost track of Welbeck and the ball, allowing the former United striker to score.
The second goal from Pascal Gross, who scored twice in last season's victory, was another result of poor anticipation from United's centre-back pairing. Lindelof and Martinez were both flummoxed by Tariq Lamptey's through ball to Gross, with the Argentine not even sensing the danger until it was too late. There was also little co-operation between the midfield and the defence for Joao Pedro's goal.
Based on their performance at Old Trafford and in their previous four matches, it is hard to comprehend how Ten Hag's side registered more clean sheets than any other Premier League side last year. They have conceded 10 goals so far this season; only Wolves and Burnley have shipped more.
"We have to improve that. There are things from the team and individuals who have to step up," said Ten Hag on the defensive problems. "Sometimes you are in bad period, difficult periods, and you have to face that and deal with that. We can't blame anyone else, we have to do better and be more determined, more resilient."
AdvertisementGetty ImagesHojlund a work in progress
When United were performing well at the end of last season it was clear they lacked a proper centre-forward. Once a top-quality striker was brought in, the theory went, the team could reach their true potential. But the idea was that the new striker would complement the team rather than carry them on his back.
Rasmus Hojlund, however, came into his full debut appearing like a knight in shining armour, tasked with rescuing United from their woeful start to the season. It was always going to be a heavy burden for a 20-year-old with only one season in Europe's top five leagues under his belt.
The Dane had an encouraging home bow, linking up well with Rashford and providing a much-needed focal point for the rest of the players to look to. But it is clear that the £72-million ($89m) man is very much a work in progress and will need time to properly dovetail with his new team-mates and acclimatise to the league. He also needs time to fully regain his fitness after arriving with a back injury which meant he could only make his first appearance for the club almost a month after joining from Atalanta.
That was evident when Ten Hag substituted him in the 64th minute for Anthony Martial, to a chorus of boos. The manager felt that it was too risky for Hojlund to play 90 minutes so soon after returning from injury. He explained: "Everyone knows he came in with a small issue, we built him up over the last three to four weeks, he is not ready for a whole game. If he gets injured because he is not capable to play 90 minutes then we are much farther away than where we want to go."
There was a great irony in Ten Hag bringing on Martial, United's most injury-prone player, to protect Hojlund, and the Frenchman offered very little in his time on the pitch, showing none of the spark or desire of the new signing.
Getty ImagesCasemiro not a saviour anymore
When United fell to their shocking 4-0 defeat at Brentford in the second game of last season, Casemiro sent a text message to his agent, who had been discussing his potential move to Old Trafford. "Tell them I'll fix," he said.
Casemiro was signed for a fee rising to £70m a few days later and soon did fix United's problems, bringing world-class quality to the team and a winning mentality he had gained after so many years at Real Madrid.
Fast-forward a year, however, and Casemiro looks tired and beyond the peak of his powers. That should not be such a surprise given he is 31, but his decline sure has been dramatic and steep. Against Brighton, his passes were routinely cut out and he was not so much a wall in front of the defence but an open window, and the visitors could pour forward on the break with little resistance from the Brazilian.
Casemiro is normally the last player to leave the pitch, but he was hauled off after only 64 minutes, replaced by 20-year-old Hannibal Mejbri. He is no longer the man to fix United's problems. Instead, he could do with some mending himself.
(C)Getty ImagesNo Sancho & no Antony
It feels like a very long time ago now, but Sancho helped lead United's revival after their last miserable start to a season. After the twin defeats to Brighton and Brentford, Sancho scored the opening goal in the 2-1 win over Liverpool in the next game and the only strike in the 1-0 win over Leicester in their fifth match of the season.
But now, Sancho is persona-non grata after firing back at Ten Hag's criticism of his performances in training and refusing to apologise. He has been forced to train separately from the rest of his team-mates, and on Saturday was not at Old Trafford. Instead, he went to watch United's Under-18s side in action against Nottingham Forest.
Antony was another player who played his part in United's recovery from their poor start. He scored in his first three matches following his £85m ($105m) move from Ajax and became one of Ten Hag's most trusted players on the pitch.
The Brazilian's productivity then sharply declined, although he remained a first-choice pick for Ten Hag and played a big role in the manager's style of play due to his work off the ball. But Antony is now also unavailable for selection after serious allegations – which he denies – were made against him by three women in Brazil.
United really lacked a presence on the right wing against Brighton as Ten Hag's midfield diamond failed to sparkle, and the only width they got was from their full-backs Diogo Dalot and Reguilon. And it is unclear whether Antony or Sancho, who cost United a combined total of £160m ($198m), will ever play for the club again.