Fans mock Manchester United after dreadful first half against Brighton

Manchester United fans have decried their team’s first half performance after Erik ten Hag‘s tenure got off to the worst possible start at home to Brighton.

Two goals from Pascal Gross gave Brighton a more than deserved two-goal lead at the break at Old Trafford with the United faithful booing the team off in Ten Hag’s first competitive fixture in charge. 

Fans on social media were shocked at the team’s performance, with one writing ‘new season, same old Manchester United’. 

Manchester United were booed off at half time and the reaction on social media reflected that

A lot has been said and written in the months preceding the season regarding the changes that Ten Hag was hoping to bring to the club but fans saw little evidence of such in the first half as last season’s defensive mishaps and incapabilities going forward appeared to remain. 

‘[The] midfield is shambolic. Literally the worst midfield in the league. [Harry] Maguire is terrible how he’s started and remained captain is outrageous,’ one fan wrote. 

Two goals from Pascal Gross gave Brighton a deserved lead at the break at Old Trafford

Danny Welbeck gave Maguire and new signing Lisandro Martinez a torrid time over the opening period, with his runs allowing Brighton to get in behind the United back four on more than a few occasions. The Seagulls had 12 attempts in the first half alone. 

Despite that, a lot of attention on social media appeared to be paid to United’s midfield which struggled to cope with the incisiveness and speed of Brighton’s play.   

‘[Cristiano] Ronaldo and [Raphael] Varane should start,’ another supporter wrote.

Adding: ‘[Marcus] Rashford can’t dribble. [Christian] Eriksen is not a ST, he’s an average CAM. Fred is not a CDM. [Scott] McTominay is the worst midfielder in United’s history but he’s still starting. Sign Dumfries, Antony and a CDM. Sell Maguire, McTominay, Shaw and Rashford.’

Their defence and midfield appeared all at sea for the majority of the first half against Brighton

Another fan agreed, writing: ‘Mctominay – shouldn’t be anywhere near the Manchester United team. Fred – as decent as he is shouldn’t be starting. We need a whole new midfield.’ 

Despite enjoying the majority of the ball for the first half, 62 per cent of it, United struggled to do anything meaningful with it and the gaps they left in the centre of the pitch allowed Brighton’s runners to cause havoc in their attacking third. 

Meanwhile, other fans focused on the Ten Hag honeymoon being essentially over after less than one half of football. 

‘It’s always the hope that kills you,’ one fan rather depressingly noted. 

Scott McTominay came in for particular criticism for his part in the shocking first half display

Erik ten Hag has a lot of work to do to get his United side back on track and performing well

Other, non-United supporting fans, naturally took the opportunity to mock the club after watching them fall to a 2-0 deficit at half-time. 

‘We are enjoying it so much. Manchester United, the gift that keeps on giving,’ one fan wrote. 

‘United are getting their trousers pulled down at home, this is hilarious,’ another added. 

On Sky Sports, Roy Keane bemoaned the ‘gaps’ in the centre of the pitch while adding that you could question the ‘personalities’ in the team.   

‘First of all Brighton have been excellent. United looked very fragile. You can question the personality in the team. They look so open. Gaps everywhere,’ he said.

‘The manager will need time, but personalities in the team, the two in the middle of the team, there’s gaps all over the place.’