Manchester United's familiar failings exposed as Brighton claim first win at Old Trafford

Rather than starting his first programme notes as a Premier League manager with a greeting of any sort, Erik ten Hag issued a short, sharp mantra to which his Manchester United must now adhere to.

“Today we begin a new season and a new story,” the Dutchman proclaimed, eager to drum home that his goal is to start again from the beginning.

Yet, the first chapter to Ten Hag’s tale had a familiar ring to it, and hardly whetted the appetite for what is to come. One substandard area of the pitch in particular, a position that has been the crux of the problem for far too long, was again a major contributor to another limp United defeat as Brighton, for the second time in three months, put their opponents to the sword.

There was ill-feeling in the air around Old Trafford even before the match got under way, with fans protesting in their hundreds against the Glazer family ownership.

A large, angry group wielding flares and banners camped outside the entrance to the director’s box chanting “we want our club back”, but after 40 minutes of this new dawn, co-owner and public enemy No 1 Avram Glazer, making a surprise appearance in the stands, must have been trying to hand the keys over to anyone who would take them.

Two first-half goals from Pascal Gross – only Mohamed Salah has more Premier League strikes against United than the German forward – both brought about after bypassing the United midfield as if it wasn’t there, did the damage. Groundhog Day in Manchester.

It has been obvious for years, even when the club seemed on the way back to something like their former grandeur under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, that a midfield consisting only of Fred and Scott McTominay, or McFred as they are affectionately or mockingly known, depending on