Seagulls prey on United’s familiar defensive frailties

SEA GOAL: Joao Pedro scores Brighton’s second goal in their Premier League match against Manchester United at the American Express Stadium. Picture: Gareth Fuller/PA

Premier League: Brighton & Hove Albion 2 Manchester United 1 

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag faces some big decisions over the make-up of his team and how to eliminate perpetual defensive errors as he looks back on a frustrating defeat at Brighton — and ahead to a clash against auld enemy Liverpool.

United must have hoped that Joshua Zirkzee’s late winner against Fulham on the opening weekend would kick-start a new mentality of defensive focus and attacking ruthlessness, but some old, familiar cracks re-emerged at the Amex as they lost 2-1 to Albion thanks to a 95th-minute winner from Joao Pedro.

For United the sight of Pedro left alone at the far post from a Simon Adingra cross was especially hard to swallow, given that this kind of mental aberration has happened so many times before.

A freeze frame showed nine United players in the picture, but none of them anywhere near where the ball was heading. Almost unfathomable.

Ten Hag was clearly frustrated in his post-match press conference and despite having just signed a new contract at Old Trafford he knows he will be heavily judged over the coming months if he cannot fix issues that have been around far too long.

A lot rides on the next few weeks. The big question is whether he will change his team for the visit of Liverpool on Sunday, having picked the same 11 two matches in a row.

For a start, it may be time to end the ‘safety first’ approach of leaving both Zirkzee and Alejandro Garnacho on the bench when the likes of Marcus Rashford are performing so poorly. “We have a squad and from the squad we will pick the best team,” said Ten Hag. “We have starters, we have finishers, and against Brighton I thought the finishers had a good impact.

“We need more than 11 players to be successful.”

United were the better side in the first half, despite going into the break 1-0 down after Harry Maguire failed to deal with a low cross into the box — and nobody made an effort to get to the ball before Danny Welbeck got it over the line at full stretch.

There was a miss by Amad Diallo when found alone at the far post, and an equally good opportunity wasted by Casemiro from a superb free-kick routine. Then there was Rashford regularly and unnecessarily straying offside —including when he managed to beat Brighton goalkeeper Jason Steele at the second attempt but saw the goal disallowed.

A lack of cutting edge was evident throughout, even though Diallo equalised with a well-struck low shot that was deflected in off Brighton defender Jan Paul van Hecke on the hour.

Then there was a lack of awareness from Zirkzee, who deflected Garnacho’s shot into the net when he was pretty much lying on the goalline. The ball was heading in anyway and Zirkzee was clearly offside, so the VAR verdict was inevitable.

Even so, United should have at least taken a point, but it was Brighton who decided to go for it.

Manager Fabian Hurzeler, only 31, made five late substitutions, three after 90 minutes. His ploy worked as United flustered and Albion gave their home crowd, and their new boss, the iconic moment they craved.

On balance, you have to say they deserved it for their greater attacking impetus, which is why Ten Hag bemoaned his side’s mentality.

“We should have been better,” he said. “Communication should have been better. We have to build up, in both boxes we have to be more clinical and more aggressive. Both goals were very soft goals to concede, that’s for sure.”

Mathijs De Ligt must surely be a contender to come into defence following two runouts from the bench, and there is hope Victor Lindelof could recover from a toe injury. The option to play Zirkzee and Garnacho from the start is becoming more compelling, too.

BRIGHTON (4-2-3-1): Steele 7; Hinshelwood 7, Dunk 6, Van Hecke 8, Veltman 7; Gilmour 7 (Ayari 90; 6), Milner 7 (Baleba 73; 6); Mitoma 7 (Adingra 90; 7), Joao Pedro 7, Minteh 6 (Rutter 90; 6); Welbeck 8 (Enciso 79; 6)

MAN UNITED (4-2-3-1): Onana 6; Dalot 7, Martinez 7, Maguire 5 (De LIgt 79; 6), Mazraoui 7; Mainoo 8, Casemiro 7; Diallo 7 (Antony 90; 5) Mount 5 (ZIrkzee 46; 7) Rashford 5 (Garnacho 65; 7); Fernandes 6 (McTominay 79; 6).

Referee: Craig Pawson