Speaking exclusively to CaughtOffside, former Manchester United midfielder Luke Chadwick cited pressing as one of the side’s key shortcomings against Brighton.
The Red Devils came away from Saturday afternoon’s clash with a 3-2 win thanks to a last-gasp and frankly extremely fortunate penalty from Bruno Fernandes.
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Chadwick, who was on the books as a senior player for United for over five years, believes that the Manchester outfit didn’t press the Seagulls ‘at all’, across the entire pitch.
The 39-year-old particularly singled out the lack of pressing from the front three, however Chadwick did admit that this could be a by-product of the attacking players’ lack of confidence in the shaky defence.
“The whole back four – and for large parts of the game the midfield as well, didn’t press as a team at all,” Chadwick told CaughtOffside.
“It seemed so easy to get at the back four, the press wasn’t right, the front three weren’t pressing with any intensity, they were more worried with what’s going on behind them.
“Out of possession, the whole team lacked any real kind of urgency. If you look at it from the other side, Brighton’s front three pressed with real intensity and energy.
“Hopefully, after a few more games United will have that same sort of urgency about them out of possession.”
United were fierce when it came to the press when football resumed back in July following a three-month hiatus, when the side are firing in this department everything else seems to be flowing.
With the pace that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s forwards boast, keeping on the opposition can yield so much more chances and goals, pressing is absolutely essential for a side like United.