Well, at least it wasn’t 4-0, like the ugly result in May! However, Brighton & Hove Albion continued their recent mastery of Manchester United today, beating them decisively 2-1 at Old Trafford. It was a very gross result for Erik ten Hag, in his United managerial debut. Pascal Gross bagged a brace for Brighton, and it was enough to clinch a win for the Seagulls. In the first half edition of news and notes for this match, we discussed the Cristiano Ronaldo situation.
It’s not getting any better, and if anything, it’s getting worse. United’s all time leading scorer, Wayne Rooney, says the club should just give Ronaldo want he wants and just let him transfer to another club.
The current DC United manager thinks it would be best for the club too.
“I think United should let Cristiano Ronaldo go. It’s not that Ronaldo can’t play in a Ten Hag team. He can play in any team,” Rooney wrote in a column for the Times.
“Ronny will always score you goals. But my personal view is that United aren’t ready to challenge for the title now, so the aim has to be to build a team that can win the league in the next three to four years, and you have to plan for that.”
Rooney is right- where is the rebuilding plan?
And that plans has to include “out with the old” before it gets to “in with the new.”
Elsewhere, the lone goal for United came via a very short range tap in, and scored and own goal against Alexis McAllister. For United, it was the softest goal possible, and it even included Harry Maguire being clearly offsides. However, it held up under VAR, with Diogo Dalot the closest United player to being able to potentially take credit.
Have a look:
? GOAL!
Alexis Mac Allister’s own goal cuts Manchester United’s deficit to one
Man. Utd [1] – 2 Brighton#MUNBHA | #MUFC
pic.twitter.com/96MQZD3Z46— Goal Replays (@footygolazos) August 7, 2022
Finally, speaking of Maguire, he was once again very bad and the United fans were once again very much on his case. I guess he didn’t uphold his promise from before the match, did he? The world’s all-time most expensive defender (who cost 80m GBP) wore the captain’s armband today, and shamed it once again.
McTominay, Fred and Maguire. The triumvirate of doom.
What have we done to deserve this?
— Adam McKola (@AdamMcKola) August 7, 2022
The Maguire show is back! ????
— JJ. Omojuwa (@Omojuwa) August 7, 2022
Maguire admitted that last season was a major setback for him, but he denied reports that he considered relinquishing the arm band.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Bank (TheSportsBank.Net) and author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” as well as “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune, and he co-hosts the After Extra Time podcast, part of Edge of the Crowd Network. Follow him and the website on Twitter and Instagram.