{"id":263081,"date":"2026-09-17T13:10:11","date_gmt":"2026-09-17T13:10:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/09\/17\/brighton-nightmare-carrick-must-bench-man-utds-new-fred-mctominay\/"},"modified":"2026-09-17T13:10:11","modified_gmt":"2026-09-17T13:10:11","slug":"brighton-nightmare-carrick-must-bench-man-utds-new-fred-mctominay","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/09\/17\/brighton-nightmare-carrick-must-bench-man-utds-new-fred-mctominay\/","title":{"rendered":"Brighton nightmare: Carrick must bench Man Utd’s new Fred & McTominay"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Youri Tielemans said it best when admitting that it felt like Manchester United<\/a> “stopped playing” after racing into an early lead on Wednesday night, the Red Devils having been abject after such a strong start at Old Trafford.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

It felt like it could well be a memorable evening when Mason Mount added to Shea Lacey’s earlier strike inside ten minutes, with United’s high-press approach getting plenty of joy in those early exchanges.<\/p>\n

Rather than go in for the kill, however, Michael Carrick<\/a>‘s men regressed so swiftly and so starkly, merely wilting thereafter amid a string of frankly unacceptable performances all across the park.<\/p>\n

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\n <\/picture>Reuters\/Jason Cairnduff<\/small><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Sat inside the Theatre of Dreams, the mood all felt a little toxic again. It’s a story we’ve all seen before in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n What it was like watching Man Utd wilt at Old Trafford<\/strong>
\n <\/h2>\n

A week ago against Sabah, United were lauded for producing a professional performance against the Azerbaijan outfit, racing into a three-goal lead prior to effectively letting the game drift after the break.<\/p>\n

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\"Youri-Tielemans-Man-Utd-Sabah\"\n <\/picture>Action Images via Reuters\/Lee Smith<\/small><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Perhaps the men in red were hoping for a repeat this time around, following a rampant start against Brighton and Hove Albion, yet against far tougher opposition, all the home side’s issues came to the fore.<\/p>\n

In trying to ‘control’ the game, the Red Devils merely ceded the momentum, almost inviting the Seagulls back into the game with a succession of errant touches and needless, wayward passes.<\/p>\n

In attack, nothing stuck for the struggling Benjamin Sesko, the Slovenian striker drawing the ire of the home crowd when squandering a perfect chance to break in the second-half, while his replacement, Joshua Zirkzee, was even more ineffective following his introduction.<\/p>\n

Like the Dutchman, there were far too many on the field who looked second-best and off the pace, with Diogo Dalot, now over eight years into his Old Trafford career, another to receive a succession of jeers for his laboured display.<\/p>\n

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\"Man-Utd-Diogo-Dalot\"\n <\/picture>Action Images via Reuters\/Jason Cairnduff<\/small><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Having allowed the visitors to flip the tie on its head so easily, like the derby at the weekend, United were then so short of ideas at 3-2 down, with only Marcus Rashford really enjoying a clear-cut opening in the closing stages.<\/p>\n

It all felt a little desperate and nervy, worrying signs so early into the campaign. Indeed, those woes were characterised best by the performance of one dismal duo.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n Man Utd duo looked like the new Fred and McTominay vs Brighton<\/strong>
\n <\/h2>\n

The only real positive can be the performance of Lacey, the 19-year-old intent on making himself the new academy poster boy amid the circus surrounding wantaway wonderkid, JJ Gabriel.<\/p>\n

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\"Shea-Lacey-Man-Utd-Brighton\"\n <\/picture>Action Images via Reuters\/Jason Cairnduff<\/small><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Rashford, operating on the other flank, was also lively and direct again, albeit with the wait for a goal or assist still rumbling on, having spurned that one-on-one late on.<\/p>\n

Otherwise, it really was a tale of woe, with the hosts looking all at sea from back to front, be it Karl Darlow in the sticks or Sesko and Zirkzee at the point of the attack.<\/p>\n

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Man Utd Player Ratings vs Brighton<\/p>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n

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Player<\/p>\n<\/th>\n

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Rating<\/p>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n

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GK – Darlow<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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5\/10<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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RB – Dalot<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

3\/10<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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CB – Yoro<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

3\/10<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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CB – Heaven<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

3\/10<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

LB – Mazraoui<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

5\/10<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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CM – Santos<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

5\/10<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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CM – Tielemans<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

6\/10<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

RM – Lacey<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

8\/10<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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AM – Mount<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

7\/10<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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LM – Rashford<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

7\/10<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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ST – Sesko<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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3\/10<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table><\/div>\n

The biggest concern, however, was the showing of Ayden Heaven<\/a> and Leny Yoro<\/a> at centre-back, the youthful duo having been as culpable as anyone for Wednesday’s grim collapse.<\/p>\n

The two men have been repeatedly tipped to be stars of the future in Manchester, even heralded as the next Gabriel and Williams Saliba, but on current evidence, the pair look so far off the level.<\/p>\n

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\"gabriel-william-saliba-arsenal\"\n <\/picture>REUTERS\/Hannah Mckay<\/small><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

In many ways, it felt like watching the much-maligned Fred and McTominay duo all over again, that flawed combination all about physicality rather than technical quality, so regularly looking inept in possession.<\/p>\n

That was certainly true of Carrick’s centre-back partnership, with Heaven taking on the Fred role as the biggest villain for the home crowd, having been so casual, so lax in possession.<\/p>\n

Time and again, the 19-year-old took an age to clear his lines, almost asking for trouble by attempting passes into the midfield unit, which immediately put the likes of Tielemans under pressure.<\/p>\n

In Yoro next to him, the \u00a350m Frenchman had his moments, recovering nicely due to his speed and athleticism, while also seeking to drive forward on occasion in what you could say was McTominay style.<\/p>\n

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\n \"mctominay-premier-league-rodgers-celtic-manchester-united-transfer\"\n <\/picture>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Again, however, his struggles in possession were stark, playing those ahead of him into trouble time and again, while the sight of him, Heaven and Darlow knocking the ball round the back frantically really must have offered encouragement to the away side.<\/p>\n

It was almost like a game of hot potato at times, neither of the centre-back pair looking comfortable on the ball, losing possession on 23 occasions combined.<\/p>\n

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\n<\/article>\n<\/section>\n

Quite where the two men went for Pascal Gros’ equaliser is another matter too, affording the German an acre of space after Sesko had failed to hold the ball up again on the halfway line.<\/p>\n

Perhaps it’s unfair to lay the blame at the door of two younger members of the starting lineup, yet their respective displays really did set the tone for United’s regression, drawing the ire of the home crowd all too often.<\/p>\n

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\n \"Man-Utd-Leny-Yoro-Ayden-Heaven\"\n <\/picture>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

It felt like watching the modern-day McFred in action, and that’s never a good sign, it must be said. Harry Maguire and Lisandro Martinez will at least be back in the frame this weekend.<\/p>\n