There may come a time this season when the disappointing 2023–24 Premier League campaign for Manchester United fades into history.
We’ll stop referencing it and use it as a distant benchmark. Eventually, it won’t seem as significant anymore.
For now, however, it shapes how we view this team, as the second phase of Erik ten Hag’s tenure is still in its early days.
At the start of the season, this is the perspective through which United is being judged.
Even though the early assessments were generally positive, there were still some concerns. It wasn’t the collapse we often associated with United last season.
For most of the match, they were more disciplined, controlled, and difficult to play against. But the tendency towards chaos hasn’t disappeared.
After a slow first half where United conceded an easy goal, they relied on luck in the second half and managed a 95th-minute winner that felt like a gift.
The sequence of missing a corner and then failing to defend the penalty area in the second phase felt unsettlingly familiar, occurring just as Brighton was beginning to apply pressure.
As a result, what could have been a point that reinforced Ten Hag’s new confidence instead raised familiar questions.
While this team does seem improved, are the changes enough? They’re more compact and better at pressing, but they’re not creating enough chances and are still making defensive errors.
This places significant pressure on the upcoming match against Liverpool at Old Trafford.
United did win here in May under Ten Hag, though it felt unusual. Brighton, under Ineos, has won four of their last five Premier League meetings, and in many ways, they are the team United is trying to emulate.
They are both United’s rival and, in some respects, their role model.
United’s aim is to become a better version of Brighton, but they have to reach that level first. Brighton excels at many things.
When they lose a highly regarded manager, they find a replacement that no Premier League team had previously considered, and they continue on the same successful path.
This summer has been more stable for them than in past years, despite a player exodus from the Amex.
Brighton has spent more on new signings than United, bringing in young players, many of whom were bold choices with clear resale value, from teams like Gothenburg, Mainz, and Nordsjaelland.
It’s clear that, under 31-year-old head coach Fabian Hurzeler, they play in a style similar to Roberto De Zerbi’s.
They still use two strikers, their wingers push forward, and they invite the press when in deep positions.
Brighton’s consistency and success in the transfer market make them the envy of almost every “big” club, including United. For too long, United has jumped from one trend to another, constantly changing styles.
The Seagulls were the team that deserved to win, and with Hurzeler, they seem to have found another future top manager.
Ten Hag won’t easily forget being outcoached by someone 23 years younger. Even though he survived the summer, he needs to avoid situations like this, as pressure can build quickly early in the season.
The biggest risk under Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s ownership is sticking with Ten Hag. United is starting to perform well under Ineos, and their summer transfer activity looks smart. However, matches like these are ones they can’t afford to lose.
