As Carrick struggles for answers, Brighton are reminding us how football should be played.

By Chris Osa Nehikhare | Publisher, From My Window

There is a particular kind of suffering reserved for Manchester United supporters. It is not simply the pain of losing. We have become rather familiar with that. It is the agony of watching your team offer you hope, only to snatch it away before the final whistle.

Today, against Leeds United, we endured another instalment of this increasingly tiresome drama.

Bryan Mbeumo gave United the lead in the 35th minute. There was something encouraging about our performance. Fire, desire, urgency and a willingness to compete. Qualities that should be standard at Old Trafford but have become so rare that we now celebrate their occasional appearance.

Then came the 51st minute. Dominic Calvert-Lewin equalised for Leeds, and another promising afternoon ended in disappointment.

Leeds United 1. Manchester United 1.

Five matches without a victory.

For a club of Manchester United’s history, resources and ambitions, that is borderline criminal.

I have tried to be patient with Michael Carrick. He is one of our own, a former player who understands the weight of the shirt. But affection must not shield him from legitimate criticism.

I am increasingly concerned about his match management, particularly the timing and choice of substitutions.

Too often, United appear slow to respond when the momentum shifts. We surrender the initiative, allow opponents back into matches and then scramble to recover what should never have been lost.

A manager must recognise when a game requires fresh legs, a tactical adjustment or a different approach. These decisions can determine whether a narrow lead becomes three points or another frustrating draw.

Carrick has yet to convince me that he consistently reads those moments well.

To be fair, today’s performance showed more commitment than some of the pedestrian displays we have endured. The players fought, competed and demonstrated a hunger that has too often been missing.

But effort is not a trophy, and encouraging performances cannot indefinitely excuse disappointing results.

Five games without a win demands more than reassuring words. It demands answers.

And then there is Brighton & Hove Albion.

What a refreshing football story they are writing this season!

Today, they demolished Crystal Palace 5–0, a result that reflected their confidence and attacking ambition.

The scoring began with Jaydee Canvot’s fourth-minute own goal. Diego Gómez added a spectacular effort from approximately 51 metres in the seventh minute, followed by Yasin Ayari in the tenth. Charalampos Kostoulas and Jack Hinshelwood completed the rout in the second half.

That Gómez goal deserves special mention. An audacious strike from near the halfway line, combining extraordinary vision, confidence and execution. The sort of goal that makes you jump out of your seat, even when you have no particular allegiance to the team.

By the tenth minute, Palace must have wondered what had hit them.

But Brighton’s appeal goes beyond today’s scoreline.

There is a delightful rhythm to their football. Their movement is purposeful, their passing intelligent and their attacking play refreshingly adventurous. They look like a team whose players understand one another and genuinely enjoy what they are doing.

Watching them has become one of my unexpected pleasures this season.

I must confess that Brighton secured a special place in my affections on September 19, when they defeated Arsenal 3–0.

Three goals. No reply.

For a long-suffering Manchester United supporter, that was a particularly satisfying afternoon.

There is something wonderfully entertaining about watching a supposedly smaller club remind the established giants that reputation does not win football matches.

Brighton did not appear intimidated by Arsenal’s stature or ambitions. They simply played their football and delivered a convincing result.

And if, in the process, they helped reset Arsenal’s championship expectations, who am I to complain?

A little footballing mischief is good for the soul, especially when one’s own club provides so little to celebrate!

But beyond my admittedly partisan amusement, Brighton deserve genuine admiration.

Their rise to second place in the league reflects a club making impressive progress through intelligent recruitment, good coaching and a coherent footballing philosophy.

They are proving that financial muscle and historical prestige are not the only ingredients of success.

Two Clubs, Two Different Realities
The contrast with Manchester United is uncomfortable.

United have the greater history, commercial power, global following and trophy cabinet. Yet Brighton currently look the more assured and cohesive football team.

At Brighton, there is a recognisable plan. At United, we still seem too dependent on individual moments of inspiration.

That is perhaps the most frustrating aspect of our present predicament.

We have spent enormous sums, changed managers, recruited celebrated players and repeatedly promised a new beginning. Yet we continue to struggle with the fundamentals of consistency and game management.

Brighton, operating with considerably fewer resources, are showing what can happen when recruitment, coaching and club philosophy pull in the same direction.

It is a lesson United would do well to study.

I remain a Manchester United supporter. That will never change.

I remember the glory years, the great victories, the extraordinary comebacks and the confidence of watching a team that believed it could beat anybody.

Perhaps that is why these struggles hurt so much.

We know what Manchester United can be. We have seen it.

And every time the team shows a little promise, we convince ourselves that perhaps the corner has finally been turned.

Then comes another disappointing result. Another opportunity wasted. Another weekend of frustration.

Carrick must improve his decision-making, and the players must take responsibility for turning promising performances into victories. The commitment we saw today should be the minimum expectation, not a reason for special praise.

As for Brighton, I hope they continue to entertain us, challenge the established order and demonstrate that intelligent football can still triumph over reputation and spending power.

And should they find another opportunity to humble Arsenal, I will certainly not stand in their way!

For now, I find myself in the rather unusual position of watching Manchester United out of loyalty and Brighton out of enjoyment.

One club keeps testing my patience.

The other keeps reminding me why I fell in love with football.

From My Window, the view is clear: Manchester United must rediscover the art of winning, while Brighton are showing that football, played with intelligence, courage and joy, remains a beautiful game.