“Ten Hag’s fault”, “Would have saved us money” – Manchester United fans feel ‘better’ player should not have been sold as they suffer Brighton defeat
Manchester United suffered a damaging 3-1 defeat at home to Brighton and Hove Albion, their second in succession in the league this season.
The Red Devils were second best all over the pitch as Brighton claimed a win at Old Trafford for a second season running.
Erik ten Hag was without the duo of Antony and Jadon Sancho for the match, and opted for a four-man midfield. The Manchester United manager also handed Rasmus Hojlund his full debut in front of a boisterous Old Trafford crowd.
Goals from Danny Welbeck, Pascal Gross and Joao Pedro put the Seagulls in full control before Manchester United pulled one back through Hannibal Mejbri.
The match ended with Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi maintaining his 100% league record against the Red Devils with another win.
Fans of the Red Devils were unhappy with the display of their players and manager, but some fans singled a player for criticism. Goalkeeper Andre Onana received blame for the goals he conceded, with fans arguing that he should have done better.
The fans took their rants to X (formerly Twitter), comparing Onana to academy graduate Dean Henderson, who left the club this summer.
One fan was of the opinion that ten Hag should have trusted Henderson and spent the Onana money on Harry Kane.
Other fans used the medium to criticise the decision to sell Henderson, stating that they preferred him in goal. See more reactions below.
Andre Onana joined Manchester United as a replacement for David de Gea, who refused to sign a new contract at the club.
The Cameroonian goalkeeper has now conceded ten goals in his first five matches for the club, with only Wolverhampton Wanderers and Burnley conceding more.
Manchester United facing early pressure after Erik ten Hag choices
Manchester United have had to deal with several issues, some of them off the pitch, which have left them trailing by nine points. Some of their biggest issues have, however, been as a result of their manager's choices.
Ten Hag opted to allow De Gea leave the club this summer due to his limited composure and technical ability on the ball.
The Dutch manager gave a green light to the club to sign Onana, a player whom he worked with at Ajax. The former Inter Milan goalkeeper was preferred for his passing ability.
Having been previously identified as the club's succession plan for De Gea, English goalkeeper Henderson opted to leave the club. He joined Crystal Palace as he saw no pathway at the club following the arrival of Onana.
Manchester United fans are not happy with their manager, who is increasingly under pressure. The Red Devils face a must-win match against German champions Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League this week.