Let me just say that again,
RUBEN'S REDS ARE COOKINGGGG!!!! 🔥
Three wins on the bounce, into the European positions, ahead of title holders Loserpool, above WoRlD cHaMpIoNs Chelsea and next thing you know, we're on a title charge.
Okay, I might be getting ahead of myself there with that last one but that others are all correct. But this is exactly what winning such games in such manners and stringing a few wins in a row can do for you.
The belief is incredible!
Here are my takeaways from an epic victory. So glad we got it over those fools who've had our number in recent years as well. Made this win even sweeter 😊
1. Subs were awful
I do want to start off with a negative.
When the substitutions were made, I actually agreed with them. 3-0 up at home and the opposition looking a little out of sorts, if you can't make changes in such a situation, then when can you?
I had no problems with who came on as well. The likes of Mainoo, Dorgu and even Heaven are all players we'd like to see given more game time and with Mainoo and Dorgu, a lot would like to see them start. Even Zirkzee got minutes which showed signs of how comfortable Amorim felt his side were.
However, all of Mainoo, Dorgu and Zirkzee appeared as if they weren't up to the races. This could be because of that lack of game time which is understandable (to an extent) but you would've expected a lot more considering that you don't get much playing time. This is your chance to prove the manager wrong.
Mainoo was not himself albeit he was playing as a CDM until Ugarte came on so you can see why he wasn't at his best but for Dorgu and Zirkzee, not only did they not look up to it, they were heavily at fault for Brighton's 2 goals.
Dorgu with a poor pass to Mbeumo that caused us to be hit on the break after a United corner. Why we decided to push everyone forward and leave just one player for the counter was poor tactically. Why it was a player who had just come on as well made even less sense.
Dorgu then had to track back which resulted in him giving up a foul. As the last man, we all thought that that was a straight red even if Lammens was favourite to win the ball.
Thankfully, he didn't get sent off (which would've made things very interesting) even more so because Danny Welbeck scored from the free-kick to bring it back to 3-1.
With the Seagulls pushing for a second, they won a corner. From that, poor marking from United ensued as Zirkzee let his man go at the near pot for a flick-on header that found it's way into the back of the net. 5 minutes of added time was left which meant for a nervy ending.
Fortunately, Mbeumo scored his second and United's fourth to put the game to bed but these 2 goals could've been avoidable.
Really disappointed with the substitutes because it was at a good time - they all had a lot of minutes - the game was pretty much done, and it was a chance to stake a claim in this side.
Amorim should be able to make such changes while maintaining a level of quality. The individuals let him down.
2. THAT Lammens save
For some, it might not seem like a significant moment. Others might think that it was a save that he should've made. In a way, they'd be right.
But this is a Man Utd side that hasn't had a proper goalkeeper in two years! We've had clowns between the sticks who couldn't even do the basics, which included saves like these.
This was a significant moment in the match because had Lammens not got fingertips to the ball, it goes in and the score would've been 2-1. It was a key save that I don't think either of Bayindir or Onana would've made.
This is why we're all so happy with the Belgian because he really is doing exactly what we want of a goalie. There's no messing about and he gets the job done. The confidence he gives to the team and us all is immense as I no longer worry about random shots or crosses into the box.
3. De Ligt
I HAVE to shout out my man Matthijs De Ligt.
Criminally underrated since he came to United, criminally underrated throughout his career in my opinion, yet he has shown that he is more than capable of handling the Premier League.
I honestly think he's been our best player and is the best defender along with Gabriel this season.
Everything about De Ligt's game is spot on: his decision-making is perfect (knows when to get rid or keep the ball), there's no trying to be too smart (just do the basics), makes incredible blocks and last-ditched headers, and his passing is really good (there was a long ball from him from defense that found Amad perfectly down the right flank.
What he's been doing a lot this season as well is stepping into midfield to either give us an extra player or in this game, to press in the midfield and even final third.
He was behind Welbeck whenever he dropped deep and kept the pressure on the former United striker. There's also no fear that there will be a big gap in defense because there are two more centre-backs to cover for him.
What De Ligt also does is he brings a confidence to the team. When he plays, I feel a lot better about the back three and team overall due to his all-round quality. The Dutchman is a leader too and has that experience that we need.
Do you notice how he always plays?
He's featured in all ten matches starting all nine in the league (he came off the bench in the loss to Grimsby). I find that he is now one of the first names on the team sheet and one of the manager's most trusted players. I find it ridiculous how Amorim didn't include De Ligt in that leadership group 🤯. He is perfect for that.
4. Different play styles
It's both a positive and a negative.
It's a negative because it still begs the question of what our identity truly is as no one can say what we are. I would rather we know that we have a certain play style but have an ability to adapt.
The positive though, is that at least we can adapt. This was a problem in the past in that when we played certain opponents, we found it difficult especially in games where we were the favourites.
So far in these past three games in particular, we've seen Amorim adopt different styles of play in each game.
Against Sunderland, it was more possession-based and probing on the edge of the box although that lasted for just the first half; Liverpool saw the more old school, long ball, root one type of football with moments where we kept possession; and Brighton was a bit of both as we did control the game with and without the ball. We let them have it at the back, pressed them high, had a good mid-block and created a lot of chances through the high press (the second goal came from this) and just proper football. There were also times when we went long to Sesko and used the long throw-in.
I like the fact that we have this adaptability. It's not something that we've seen in the past and it means that we're not one-dimensional: we can do many different things.
Fair play Ruben. Fair play.
5. Turning a corner?
This was the true test. While all those things mentioned above are important, beating Brighton was the thing we all wanted to see.
In the past, it was easier to turn up in the big games because of it's sheer size and importance but also because there was no pressure as we weren't the favourties. We sometimes got positive results much like against Chelsea or at Anfield. It was then following that up with another big performance and result specifically against the 'lesser' sides in a game where we are the favourites.
Brighton was one such game.
They were almost the perfect opponents as they weren't a side that we should definitely be beating because they are a good team but nor were they a side that were heavy favourites even if they had a strong record at Old Trafford.
Yet United turned up. We were the better side, played the better football, scored some goals, played as a team and not one that relied on individuals, and we deserved to win, just as we did against Sunderland and Liverpool before.
The importance of this win cannot be understated.
For so long, such matches were an Achilles heel for United but getting over this hump could pave the way for more positive results in the future.
Now I'm starting to believe and more importantly, trust this side a little more. We do need to keep this momentum going as the longer we do that, the more that belief and trust will increase.
Forest, you better watch out. Ruben's Reds are coming for you!
Bryan Mbeumo scores 2 goals in Man Utd's 4-2 win over Brighton | Image via Manchester United official X (@ManUtd)