Erik ten Hag must change his Manchester United selection rule for three players vs Brighton

Erik ten Hag will demand a response from his side when they face Brighton at Wembley later today. It is easier said than done.

For all the progress they have made this season, Manchester United's campaign is in danger of being remembered as much for their hatful of humblings as it will be for the strides forward they have made.

The latest of those was as damning as any that went before. United wanted the narrative to move on from their capitulation at Anfield as if it were a one-off, but even without a number of key players there were no valid excuses to be made.

FOLLOW: United vs Brighton build-up and early team news

What will be interesting is whether or not Ten Hag sticks to the same selection rule he did after their Liverpool loss, when he demanded the same players go out and get a response in the next match.

The Dutchman didn't make a single alteration to his line-up for the following game against Real Betis and got an emphatic reponse with a 4-1 thrashing.

"We lowered our standards over the last couple of games and we got hammered for it in the second half," he explained of his team selection after the Liverpool defeat. "We have to get back to our standards, to our values, to our demands. That is what we have to bring on the pitch."

While there is an argument that no player deserves to keep their place from the horror show in Seville, there is also an argument that it should be down to those same individuals to redeem themselves.

It is a nice thought, but it seems unlikely. Part of the reason why Ten Hag named an unchanged side against Betis was due to the fact it was a two-legged tie, so there was still some margin for error.

There is no such safety net at Wembley and if United aren't up to the challenge from