Manchester United were knocked out of the FA Cup at the third round on Sunday afternoon as Brighton secured a 2-1 victory at Old Trafford.
Interim boss Darren Fletcher chose to select a very strong starting XI as Manchester United welcomed Brighton to Old Trafford for the third round of the FA Cup.
The tie started poorly, with Brajan Gruda opening the scoring for the visitors early on as he struck home after Lisandro Martínez’s clearance off the line. Not too long later, Senne Lammens almost gifted them a second with a poor pass, although Danny Welbeck couldn’t convert.
Both teams continued to push for more, with the likes of Diogo Dalot and Benjamin Šeško coming close for Fletcher’s men, but neither could add a second goal to the game before the half-time whistle.
In the second half, United continued to attack, but with 25 minutes to play, Brighton had their second as Welbeck thumped in to double their lead. Fletcher made several changes to introduce extra attacking intent, and with five minutes to play, Šeško brought one back.
With United throwing their all at it, substitute Shea Lacey was unfairly pulled up for a foul and then sent off through a second yellow card for his reaction, and the tie ultimately fell to a 2-1 win for the Seagulls.
#1 – Fletcher’s strong XI didn’t have enough
When the XIs were announced, the inclusion of the likes of Benjamin Šeško, Matheus Cunha, and Bruno Fernandes showed that Fletcher was taking no chances at Old Trafford.
United certinaly attacked with intent in the first half and created several fantastic chances, although they failed to convert during the opening 45 minutes, and a lack of finishing quality squandered them all.
The club are set to welcome Amad and Bryan Mbeumo back to action against Manchester City next weekend, and maybe they can provide the clinical edge that United lacked, but even those such as Fernandes, Šeško, and Mount should have been enough to win the tie.
#2 – Mainoo’s first start in months was positive
One change that delighted fans ahead of kick-off was the reintroduction of Kobbie Mainoo, who was making his first start for the club since late-August. Having come off the bench against Burnley in midweek as he returned from injury, Fletcher was handing him the perfect chance to shine.
He had a lot of responsibility, playing as a midfielder who collected the ball from the centre-backs, made himself available for a pass every time, and transitioned the side from defence to attack, and performed well, creating more chances (3) than anyone else on the pitch in the opening 45 minutes.
In the second half, he was a little less effective and was taken off after 60 minutes, around the same time he received a yellow card. But for the most part, it was an encouraging display from the young midfielder.
#3 – The right chances falling to the wrong players
Against Burnley on Wednesday evening, United created a host of great chances for their forward line, and on another day, would have easily scored four or five. But against Brighton, the chances created in the opening half fell to those less experienced with scoring goals.
On several occasions in the first 45 minutes, it was players like Dalot and Martínez who found themselves in shooting positions, but their inexperience meant they failed to convert. United had 12 shots in that period, creating 1.26 xG compared to Brighton’s 0.81.
In the second half, the same story continued. United tried to create and managed to open themselves a few more opportunities, but to very little avail. It seemed too much of an ask to get the ball to the strikers’ feet, and even when it got there, there wasn’t the quality to finish.
#4 – Lammens must improve with the ball at his feet
Previously this season, goalkeeper Lammens had been asked to generally boot the ball up the field whenever he had the chance to bypass the opposition press, but under Fletcher so far, he’s been asked to play on the floor.
Read More: Player Ratings – Manchester United 0-2 Brighton (FA Cup)
His dodgy early pass to Welbeck in the first half raised a few alarm bells, and ultimately, he looked a little uncomfortable at points across the tie, although he managed to get through the rest of the game mostly unscathed.
Under any new head coach, he will likely need to become more confident with the ball at his feet and more stable with it.
#5 – A season to forget, no matter what
United’s loss against Brighton and the knockout of the FA Cup at the third round has confirmed that the club will only play 40 games this season, and it’s been a season to forget, no matter what happens.
Even if the club achieves their primary aim this season, qualifying for next season’s Champions League, there has been almost nothing positive of note, given Rúben Amorim’s sacking and the dire set of results both home and away.
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