Raphael Varane and the rest of the Manchester United defenders were abysmal as Brighton & Hove Albion handed them a 4-0 loss on Saturday.
Manchester United looked out of sorts from the word go, with Brighton & Hove Albion on top of the visitors as soon as referee Andy Madley blew the whistle for kick-off. The Seagulls did not look overly threatening, but they deservedly went ahead when Moises Caicedo scored through a sea of bodies in the 15th minute.
It was a wonder that Manchester United went into half-time still only a goal down, with Brighton missing several clear-cut openings. But Brighton did not spurn the chances early in the second half, with Marc Cucurella scoring with a thumping effort from close range that beat David de Gea all ends up.
Two quickfire goals added to Manchester United’s misery and ended all hopes of a comeback. The hosts first went three up through Pascal Gross after Leandro Trossard sliced open the Manchester United defence. Trossard then found the back of the net himself, even though he did not know anything about it after a botched clearance from Danny Welbeck’s dinked effort.
Manchester United saw plenty of the ball in the final game’s final quarter but lacked the end product to trouble Robert Sanchez in the Brighton goal. The result will help Brighton’s bid to finish in the top half while ending Manchester United’s chances of clinching the fourth spot on the Premier League table for good. The Hard Tackle runs the rule over Ralf Rangnick’s men.
Manchester United will now finish the 2021/22 season with their lowest points tally in the competition's history, fewer than 2013/14's 64 points.
A season to forget. ?? pic.twitter.com/xYiiPoE3cC
— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) May 7, 2022
David de Gea: 5/10
David de Gea could not have done to stop any of the Brighton goals. His vision was blocked when Moises Caicedo scored through several bodies while Marc Cucurella’s shot was a thumping effort. Pascal Gross and Leandro Trossard scored from close range, and he can only lament that he had a dreadful defence in front of him.
Diogo Dalot: 3/10
Dalot was the best Manchester United defender on the day, although that hardly says much. The Portuguese international, too, was poor, to say the least, losing possession a staggering 24 times while getting troubled by Marc Cucurella to no end. But he made several crucial interceptions (five), interceptions (four), tackles (three) and blocks (two). That is a mere consolation at the end of a forgettable day.
Victor Lindelof: 2/10
Lindelof was literally walking as the ball passed him by in the build-up to the third Brighton goal. That is enough to say how woeful he was in the game, and there is nothing much to write about his performance.
Raphael Varane: 2/10
For a player who is supposed to be the solution for Manchester United’s defensive woes, Varane keeps on producing “disasterclasses” far too often. At times, the Frenchman inexplicably gifted the ball to a Brighton attacker while barely managing to contain Welbeck. So his 95 per cent passing rate is a mere consolation after an abysmal showing.
“Our fans on Twitter will be calling you ‘Europa League Varane’ at this rate” pic.twitter.com/kMIz0QLciv
— ODDSbible (@ODDSbible) May 7, 2022
Alex Telles: 2/10
Time is running out for Alex Telles at Manchester United, and he failed to prove his detractors wrong. Gross and Solly March constantly troubled the Brazilian international, and despite his six completed clearances, he was dreadful, to say the least. His end product in the final third was also sub-par, and it is unclear what he brought to the game for Manchester United.
Scott McTominay: 2/10
McTominay is lucky to get even 2/10 for an awful performance against Brighton. The Scottish international completed most of his attempted passes but gave away a staggering five fouls, with each of those closer to the Manchester United box. He made a few clearances but never got a hold of Gross or Caicedo.
Nemanja Matic: 5/10
Matic was pinned back for long periods in the first half, with Brighton often overrunning him in the middle of the park. But the Serb was Manchester United’s best bet to progress out of their half, which they barely did in the opening period. So it was surprising to see Rangnick take him off at the interval.
Anthony Elanga: 2/10
Elanga’s topsy turvy season continued on Saturday, with Marc Cucurella playing him out of the game at the Amex Stadium. The youngster completed just one pass in his outing, ending with a paltry 14 per cent passing rate. He still has a long way to go before he can dream of becoming a pivotal figure for Manchester United.
Juan Mata: 3/10
Mata was coming off the back of a stellar display against Brentford. But the Spaniard’s performance in his second Premier League start of the season showed why he has been on the sidelines more often than not this term. Mata struggled to get into the game and found himself dropping too deep constantly. But he still managed an impressive 90 per cent passing rate and two key passes.
Bruno Fernandes: 3/10
Rangnick shunted Bruno Fernandes out to the left flank in the absence of Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford. But the demands of the position did not suit the Portuguese international, who looked to drift infield and often took up the same positions as Mata. At the same time, he did not provide Telles with enough defensive support. But he looked like the best bet for Manchester United to conjure up something.
Cristiano Ronaldo: 3/10
Ronaldo can't believe this Man United performance ? pic.twitter.com/Xv2YJZYQen
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) May 7, 2022
Ronaldo produced one of his worst performances since rejoining Manchester United last summer. The Portuguese international never looked like he was going to trouble Robert Sanchez in the Brighton goal, with all his shots being off-target. Ronaldo also lost the ball carelessly at times, and frustration got the better of him as the game progressed. A game to forget for the Player to Watch in our preview.
SUBSTITUTES
Fred: 3/10
After replacing Matic at half-time, Fred flitted in and out of the game and looked nervy when he had the ball at his feet. The Serb was arguably better in the opening period.
Edinson Cavani: 5/10
Cavani ran his socks off and tried to salvage something out of the game but to no avail. He was one of the better performers for Manchester United, nonetheless.
Harry Maguire: 6/10
Ironically, Manchester United’s beleaguered captain is the only player who can hold his head up high in the chastening received at the hands of Brighton. Maguire came the closest to scoring for Manchester United while defending well enough in the game’s final quarter.
