MANCHESTER, United Kingdom —
Erik ten Hag said Cristiano Ronaldo’s presence will improve Manchester United
after a dismal start to his reign in charge as Brighton recorded their first
ever victory at Old Trafford with a 2–1 win on Sunday.
اضافة اعلان
Any hope of a fresh start for United after a
miserable 2021/22 season was wiped away within 45 minutes as Pascal Gross
struck twice to put the Seagulls in command.
Alexis Mac Allister’s own goal gave United a
foothold in the game, but they rarely looked like getting back on level terms,
showing the scale of the task lying ahead for Ten Hag.
The former Ajax boss left
Ronaldo on the bench after
he only returned to pre-season training last week.
Ronaldo is reportedly seeking an exit from Old
Trafford to play Champions League football this season.
But without the five time
Ballon d’Or winner, United
had no focal point to their attack as Christian Eriksen started in an
unfamiliar role as a false nine.
“It’s clear to see we were better in the middle with
Eriksen back and Ronaldo up front,” said Ten Hag after Ronaldo came on eight
minutes into the second half.
“If he was available, I would’ve played him.
Cristiano is now 10 days in team training. That’s too short for 90 minutes.
That’s the reason we didn’t start him.”
The outcome could have been very different had Bruno
Fernandes not blazed over a glorious chance on six minutes.
But Brighton, who beat United 4-0 when the sides
last met in May, quickly settled into their passing rhythm.
Graham Potter’s men have lost two of their best
players during the transfer window, as
Yves Bissouma joined the Spurs and Marc Cucurella moved to Chelsea
this week for a club record fee in excess of £60 million ($72 million).
But it did not show as Brighton exposed the same
flaws in United’s wide open midfield to pick apart Ten Hag’s men with ease.
“It’s not easy because as the transfer fees suggests
they were two really key players,” said Potter.
“In any team you miss good players. We have got a
good group, they are ambitious, they are not perfect, but they give everything
and when you’re a coach it gives you a chance.”
Welbeck haunts old side
Danny Welbeck, who United
discarded back in 2014, was a constant threat in behind the vulnerable
defensive pairing of
Harry Maguire and Lisandro Martinez.
Welbeck created the opener as he ran off Maguire and
laid the ball across goal for Gross to slot into an unguarded net at the back
post.
The German midfielder now has six goals in 12
appearances against United, as he was again in the right place to take
advantage when David de Gea could only parry Solly March’s shot across goal.
Boos rang out
around Old Trafford at the half-time whistle, with the home fans not only
restless about the state of their side on the pitch.
The club shop was forced to close before kick-off by
a protest against United’s owners, the Glazer family, on the day Avram Glazer
made a rare appearance in the directors’ box.
Ronaldo’s introduction early in the second half at
least lifted the noise levels inside Old Trafford, which in turn roused United
into a response.
Marcus Rashford failed to build on his encouraging
pre-season form as Robert Sanchez produced a stunning save to block the England
international’s effort from Ronaldo’s pinpoint cross.
Sanchez quickly undid that good work to give United
a lifeline 22 minutes from time.
The Spanish international flapped at a corner under
pressure from
Diogo Dalot and then slapped the ball into his own net off the
unfortunate Mac Allister.
But an expected siege on the Brighton goal never
materialized as the visitors comfortably saw out the closing stages for a
famous win.
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