Four things we learnt as shambolic United dumped out FA Cup by Brighton

Manchester United welcomed Brighton & Hove Albion to Old Trafford in the third round of the FA Cup. Senne Lammens kept his place in goal, while Leny Yoro and Lisandro Martinez started as the centre-back pairing. Patrick Dorgu returned to left-back after starting further forward in midweek. Kobbie Mainoo made just his second start of the season alongside Manuel Ugarte in central midfield. Bruno Fernandes started in the number 10 role, with Mason Mount and Matheus Cunha playing either side of Benjamin Sesko, who scored a brace in the last match against Burnley. Here are four things we learnt from the game. Too easy to score against One of the biggest problems Manchester United have had is their inability to be solid defensively. The Red Devils actually started the game really well and had two or three great chances to score. Nonetheless, they undid all their good work by conceding a poor goal after just 12 minutes. To be frank, the entire defence could have been blamed in some way, as Brajan Gruda opened the scoring whilst unmarked in the box. Even Senne Lammens is seemingly being affected, as he carelessly gave the ball away to Danny Welbeck and almost cost his side a second goal. The Belgian has been very secure since making his debut in October, but even he is beginning to crack under the pressure. The home side were once again cut open with ease for Danny Welbeck’s strike, which gave the Seagulls a 2-0 lead. Whoever the next manager of United is, they will need to put some serious work into constructing a team who can defend consistently. Kobbie Mainoo impresses The Carrington product has been on the periphery for the majority of the season and even seemed to be on the verge of leaving the club this month. The sacking of Ruben Amorim has changed the dynamic, though, and he was given just his second start of the season. Mainoo was impressive and demonstrated some strong touches in and around the box. He kept possession well and showed some silky moves to demonstrate to the club that he deserves a chance to start regularly. Whoever takes over as caretaker manager will have a big decision to make regarding whether Mainoo will become a regular starter. Bruno Fernandes and Mason Mount poor Mason Mount was in great form before his injury in December. He scored a few goals and was a constant menace in pressing and in attack. Nonetheless, he was poor this evening and barely got a look-in all game. Mount offered little offensively and could not stamp his mark on the match. He will hope he can stay fit and get something close to his best in the coming weeks. Shea Lacey The United youngster made his Old Trafford debut as a half-time substitute and will be one of the few home players who can hold their head up high. He impressed against Burnley midweek and almost won the match when his fantastic effort rattled the crossbar. Lacey was brave and took on the Brighton full-back, much to the delight of the Old Trafford crowd. He also had some nice shots and crosses and will be pleased with the impact he made. He dampened his performance with two silly yellow cards to ruin his Old Trafford debut, but the fans will have seen enough to know they have a talent on their hands. Featured image Carl Recine via Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Alex Browne Alex is a huge Manchester United fan, inspired by greats of his homeland such as George Best, Harry Gregg and Norman Whiteside. Alex has a Master’s degree from Queen’s University Belfast and La Universitat Rovira i Virgili in Tarragona, Spain. Having lived in the country since 2011, Alex is The Peoples Person’s Spanish football expert and is fluent in both Spanish and Catalan. He dreams of witnessing a United captain triumphantly hoisting the Premier League and Champions League trophy in the air once more.