Calamitous Man Utd confront their new reality after latest Brighton humiliation | OneFootball

The juxtaposition of Manchester United’s history and the current reality can often be awkward, sometimes unfair. But after a poignant reminder of their glorious past came an illustration of the troubled present.

United paid tribute to Denis Law, but only before the game. Once it started, with a certain predictability, Brighton recorded their regulation win over United. Law may forever remain the king of the Stretford End, but, for one afternoon only, the princes of the corner of the East Stand that housed the visiting fans were Yankuba Minteh, Kaoru Mitoma and Georgino Rutter.

After the tributes, the trouble. A wreath was laid by three 1968 European Cup-winning players, Alex Stepney, Paddy Crerand and Brian Kidd, and the 1999 and 2008 Champions League-winning manager, Sir Alex Ferguson.

And then the team marooned in 13th lost for the fourth time in five home matches. That Law’s final kick of the ball was a backheeled winner for Manchester City as United were relegated is an illustration their history is not unblemished. Nevertheless, this is shaping up as United’s worst league season for decades.

The right sort of history was made by Brighton, who join Manchester City as the only team to record three consecutive Premier League away wins at Old Trafford. Law never faced Albion with United; divisions separated the clubs then, but now Brighton are eight points and four places above the fallen giants.

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Flowers are laid in front of the Trinity statue in memory of former Manchester United player Denis Law (Reuters)

United have taken 11 points from as many matches under Amorim. If nothing else, this game supported his theory that the rest of the season will be a rollercoaster. Amorim tends to be proved correct when he predicts United will struggle: he said “a storm is coming”, and it did.

If this particular rollercoaster contains more downs than ups, United only have themselves to blame. They were architects of their latest downfall in a variety of ways. They began Amorim’s reign with early goals. Since then, they have been strangely slow starters. For the fifth consecutive match at Old Trafford, they conceded first. For the third time in that sequence, they were 1-0 down after five minutes.

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Brighton’s Yankuba Minteh celebrates after setting up his fellow winger Kaoru Mitoma for their side’s second goal (Action Images via Reuters)

In goal, Andre Onana was horribly at fault for Albion’s third goal, and perhaps culpable for the second. The Cameroonian has still been one of United’s better players this season, but when he is bad, he is awful.

The defence who had performed valiantly in backs-to-the-wall efforts against Liverpool and Arsenal looked utterly ill-suited to playing with a high line.

They were outpaced by a faster Brighton side; outflanked, too, given the first two goals came from a combination of their wingers. Amorim fielded a side with five defenders and they stopped neither.

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Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana reacts after his latest blunder (Action Images via Reuters)

In midfield, the starters Manuel Ugarte and Kobbie Mainoo were so ineffectual that, for the second time in four days, each had been substituted before the mid-point of the second half. In attack, United registered no shot on target in open play, scoring only from Bruno Fernandes’ penalty after Carlos Baleba hauled down Joshua Zirkzee. Tactically, there was a chaotic feel, as though United tried to take on Brighton at their own high-energy game and completely failed. Perhaps only the relentless Amad Diallo deserves to escape censure. For the first time since 1893, United have lost six of their opening 12 home league games.

Dopey defending was the initial problem, Onana denying Joao Pedro even before the breakthrough as, within 10 minutes of the moving ceremony to honour Law, United trailed. The whole United defence was caught out by Baleba’s 50-yard pass. Mitoma sprinted in behind Noussair Mazraoui, Minteh escaped beyond Leny Yoro. The Japanese winger squared for the Gambian to finish.

Albion’s first two goals were a role reversal. Mitoma made the first for Minteh while the right winger set up the second for the left winger. After an hour, Minteh’s cross was finished by Mitoma, with Mazraoui, attempting to mark him, instead ending up poleaxed by the post.

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‘When he is bad, he is awful’: It was another poor day for Onana (Martin Rickett/PA)

United could already have been behind: they were reprieved after they seemed to concede in calamitous fashion, Pedro finishing but a VAR intervention ruling Jan Paul van Hecke’s foul on Diogo Dalot was spotted. There was no such escape when Onana contrived to spill Yasin Ayari’s cross at the feet of the substitute Rutter.

It gave Albion a sixth win in seven league games against United. It is the sort of statistic that would have defied all credibility a few years ago. Now it is reality.