Jose Mourinho unable to inspire joyless Manchester United as Brighton expose their defensive frailties
J
ose Mourinho’s downbeat post-match comments were almost as incoherent as his woeful team as they were deservedly beaten by a rampant Brighton who simply, damningly and emphatically out-played and out-fought them.
ose Mourinho’s downbeat post-match comments were almost as incoherent as his woeful team as they were deservedly beaten by a rampant Brighton who simply, damningly and emphatically out-played and out-fought them.
The score-line flattered Manchester United as this raucous encounter on the south coast was summed up with Glenn Murray, Brighton’s 34-year-old striker, simply bullying the central defenders that Mourinho clearly has so little faith in.United was, in fact, out-classed and alarmingly Mourinho, tense and angry on the touchline, did not seem to have an answer before pinning it on “incredible mistakes” and, another, veiled suggestion that he had not been backed in the transfer market. Even if he added that he did not want to talk about it.
The United manager had already declared money does not buy class after he was mocked in the Amazon Prime “All or Nothing” documentary series about the champions but it is his team that is lacking – and not just because they did not acquire the centre-half Mourinho believes they need.
On this evidence they are not only joyless and listless but will struggle to finish in the top four, never mind try and wrestle the Premier League title away from City who put six past Huddersfield Town before this match kicked off.
Two games into the season and it has come to this already. There was no fizz, no spark, no inspiration, no fight. From him or them. There is time, of course, there is plenty of time and Mourinho suggested that they cannot be judged until December but, by then, City, Liverpool, and a few others may be too far ahead if this performance is repeated too often.
The central defender argument is a red herring for the Red Devils. Mourinho may want more but the two men in that position he has brought in – Eric Bailly and Victor Lindelof, at a combined cost of £61million – played and were shocking.
Where to start? Alexis Sanchez did not travel because of a “little (injury) problem” but there were big problems: from David De Gea in goal, a curiously nervous shadow of his former self, to full-backs in Luke Shaw and Ashley Young who were dominated through to a lack of creativity and control in midfield and a leaden forward line.
Anthony Martial, who wants to leave, replaced Sanchez but did not impress and was taken off in the second half. The forward failed to acknowledge and was not acknowledged by Mourinho while Juan Mata and Andreas Pereira did not even last that long and were hooked at half-time.
By then Brighton had scored three times. They were better than United all over the pitch and even shrugged off the loss to injury of their crucial defender Lewis Dunk. In his absence, Shane Duffy was immense while Davy Propper and Dale Stephens dominated United captain Paul Pogba and new signing Fred – a near £150million midfield combination.
On the wings, Anthony Knockaert and Solly March were too sharp and that was summed up by Brighton’s opening goal on 25 minutes when Propper popped the ball out wide and Mata barely attempted to close down Gaetan Bong. The left-back found March who, not for the first time, whipped in a first-time cross.
Murray stole in front of Lindelof and superbly flicked the ball with the outside of his right boot beyond De Gea. Great finish; terrible defending.
As Brighton’s fans celebrated their team scored again. United failed to clear a corner, which had been needlessly conceded by Bailly, and a shot across goal fell to Pascal Gross who picked out the relentless Knockaert who, in turn, found Duffy. The center-half took a touch and shot low past De Gea. Again – good finish; appalling defending.
United needed a response and found it when a corner drifted over Lindelof and fell to Shaw whose shot was charged down into the turf only for the ball to ricochet up. Romelu Lukaku headed it home from close-range.
There was a long time to go but, crucially, United could not hold on to half-time and it was another calamitous concession as De Gea inexplicably sent the ball straight into Fred’s face – quite literally - and the midfielder lost possession to Stephens. As Mourinho complained Fred had been fouled, Gross was sent through on goal with his first touch taking him wide. But Bailly recklessly lunged in, bringing him down and Gross drove the penalty into the net off De Gea’s leg as he dived to his right.
And that, frankly, was that. Brighton goalkeeper Mathew Ryan made one fine save, as he flung himself to push away a Pogba shot from distance for a corner but United did not threaten again until the 95thminute when Duffy made his only mistake as he crunched into substitute Marouane Fellaini and Pogba fired in the penalty.
Extraordinarily Mourinho attempted to claim more added time should have been played, as he clutched at straws, but at least he conceded that Brighton deserved to win. They certainly did. But for all their desire, their organization and skill they were helped by their opponents who lacked all the basic elements Brighton showed.
At one point Pogba passed the ball straight out of play before Fred injured himself as he tried to take out Murray and missed him completely. Mistakes can be made but it was symptomatic of malaise.
Long before the end pockets of United fans, who, admirably had chanted throughout, urging their team to “attack, attack, attack” started to drift away to be goaded by a chorus of: “Just like Brighton, your city is blue.” That will have hurt but not as much as this result and this performance. It was humiliating for a team of United’s ambitions and resources and a manager of Mourinho’s ability.
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