Dalot and Højlund seal late win for Manchester United at Brighton
Diogo Dalot opened the scoring in the 73rd minute fro Manchester United. Photograph: David Klein/Reuters
If one manager’s future is settled, the other’s hangs in the balance. Roberto de Zerbi’s departure from Brighton appears a case of parting as friends before a relationship turns sour when the two parties desire different things.
He leaves a club where continuity allows the loss of a manager to be only a glancing blow. Manchester United offers no such structure and if their away fans were determined to enjoy themselves and celebrated Diogo Dalot and Rasmus Hojlund’s goals like they scored cup-final winners, victory at Brighton is not nearly enough for Erik ten Hag. Only winning the FA Cup and returning United to European football can possibly save him – he should consider what happened to Louis van Gaal eight years ago to see what job security a Wembley win might bring.
For an institution of such faded grandeur, where a leaking roof is reality rather than metaphor, Ten Hag’s second-season statistics are damning: a negative goal difference for the first time since 1990, the second-lowest points total of the Premier League era, the most defeats in a Premier League season, and the concession of a record 58 goals. None of which will look good on a Powerpoint presentation for Big Sir Jim Ratcliffe et al as they consider whether continuity or a new manager is the best means of moving United’s sporting direction forward.
That only four of the starting lineup at Brighton were not given their United bow by the Dutchman rather ate into a regular argument that he has not been able to build his own team. Lisandro Martínez’s first start since February did offer a reminder of the heavy casualty list at United this season. So did the continuation of the experiment with Casemiro as a centre-half alongside the Argentinian. Another Ten Hag project, Sofyan Amrabat, was full of his usual effort but an inveterate carelessness in possession while Rasmus Højlund, last summer’s flagship signing, was benched until the second half, though his late goal, making his own space to finish well, showed what United paid £64m for.
An even opening period saw first Alejandro Garnacho and then Brighton’s Valentin Barco force saves from the opposing keepers. United’s approach was direct – and ineffective – in attempting to get the ball quickly to wide men Garnacho and Amad Diallo. Bruno Fernandes and Scott McTominay as a deep-lying partnership of false No 9s rather defeated the object of long-ball football. The pair were starved of chances though McTominay’s finish was dreadful when Fernandes had played his partner in.
Brighton’s attacking interchanges were far more intricate, with De Zerbi, adopting his usual hands-in-pockets stance, cajoling them on as he has throughout his 20 months in charge, looking nothing like demob happy. Adam Webster headed wide from Barco’s cross, before Adam Lallana forced Martínez into a goalline clearance and João Pedro skewed agonisingly wide as Brighton played some of their better football of the latter half of the season.
Celebrated by the usual pre-match “Forza De Zerbi” tifo, the departing manager will be recalled fondly for last season’s sixth-place finish, the resultant European adventures and the exciting style that made his and the club’s reputation in the wider world. Ten Hag, sharp-suited but far less of a touchline presence, was lucky his team did not enter the half-time dressing room two or three goals down. Meanwhile, Newcastle’s stripping away of any chance of a league-table qualification for Europe began to filter into the stands.
The second half saw Casemiro and Martínez forced into last-ditch clearances as Brighton stepped it up again with their high press. Lallana, leaving the club this summer, was given a standing ovation when subbed off. With little to play for beyond hurt pride, Ten Hag then withdrew Martínez and Fernandes. And when Amrabat gave the ball away one too many times, rejigged his defence by bringing on the departing Raphael Varane, pushing Casemiro forward from defence, where the Brazilian’s last two performances have been significant improvements from his hapless performance at Crystal Palace.
Such moves were made with Wembley in mind, where Ten Hag must pull off the most notable heist of his career by stopping Manchester City. Dalot’s cool finish, after Igor Julio’s handball had played the full-back onside came against the run of play, though by then the game had developed an end-of-season flavour. De Zerbi, by now smiling and joking with his coaches, could make his farewells. Ten Hag must wait to discover what’s next for him and United.