Mutiny at Old Trafford

It's not going according to plan for Erik Tan Hag and his Manchester United team. The home defeat to Brighton was bad enough, but the Dutch head coach got another headache to deal with - the supporters' wrath.

For the first time, the former Ajax coach endured a chorus of boos and whistles for one of his decisions. With United trailing 2-0 to the Seagulls, he substituted Rasmus Hojlund to bring on Anthony Martial - and it set the fans off. The strong booing and the standing ovation for Hojlund, when he left the pitch, appeared to be clear expressions of criticism towards Ten Hag's substitution.

The Dutchman's walk onto the pitch after the match and the sight of the half-empty Stretford End could symbolise a disappointing day for the manager at Old Trafford. This loss marked the first time Manchester United had lost three out of their first five Premier League games, and it was the end of Ten Hag's unbeaten home run in the Premier League as the United manager.

The fact that United has lost to all three top-six teams they have faced adds to the frustration. Some United supporters even congratulated the Brighton analysts as they left the stadium, perhaps acknowledging the tactical victory of Roberto De Zerbi's team.

The damning defeat again brought the focus back to the club's ownership, a decade of terrible decisions and the lack of success that was so synonymous with the red half of Manchester since the inception of the Premier League until Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement. The week was bad enough already as the bust-up between the manager and star winger Jadon Sancho culminated in the former Borussia Dortmund man being banished from the team. While the rest of Ten Hag's squad was at Old Trafford preparing for this game, Sancho was wrapped up in a hoody at Carrington, watching the under-18s as he continued to train his own. His future looks to be away from United at the moment.

Indeed, Ten Hag is facing a challenging situation at Manchester United, especially considering his losses have come against direct rivals for a top-four finish. This kind of start can raise concerns about the team's ability to secure a coveted spot in the top tier of English football and the stability of the squad under Ten Hag's management.

It's another episode in the never-ending series of Manchester United misfortunes.

PREMIER LEAGUE - MATCHDAY 5

Saturday

Wolves - Liverpool 1-3 (1-0)

/Hwang 7 - Gakpo 55, Robertson 85, Bueno 90+1/

Aston Villa - Crystal Palace 3-1 (0-0)

/Duran 87, Luiz 90+8 pen, Bailey 90+11 - Edouard 47/

Fulham - Luton 1-0 (0-0)

/Vinicius 65/

Man Utd - Brighton 1-3 (0-1)

/Mejbri 73 - Welbeck 20, Gross 53, Pedro 71/

Tottenham - Sheffield Utd 2-1 (0-0)

/Richarlison 90+8, Kulusevski 90+10 - Hamer 73/

West Ham - Man City 1-3 (1-0)

/Warde-Prowse - Doku 46, Bernardo Silva, Haaland/

Newcastle - Brentford 1-0 (0-0)

/Wilson 64 pen/

Sunday

16.00: (4.60) Bournemouth (3.60) Chelsea (1.80)

18.30: (6.25) Everton (4.20) Arsenal (1.52)

Monday

21.45: (2.30) Nott.Forest (3.45) Burnley (3.30)

***odds are subject to change