50-year-old record shattered: Manchester United have a problem bigger than Carrick

Manchester United were 2-0 up at Old Trafford after just 10 minutes.

By the final whistle, they had lost 3-2 and were out of the Carabao Cup.

It is the same story again.

Shea Lacey and Mason Mount gave United a dream start against Brighton. But instead of taking control, United somehow allowed the game to completely change.

Full credit to Brighton. They took a huge hit in the opening minutes but continued playing their football. Charalampos Kostoulas pulled one back before half time before Pascal Gross and Maxim De Cuyper completed the comeback.

For United, however, this is becoming seriously worrying.

United had not lost at Old Trafford after leading by two goals since September 1976, when Tottenham also came back to win 3-2.

Before Brighton did it, United had won 143 of the previous 145 home matches in which they had taken a 2-0 lead.

And this was not simply a freak comeback.

After going 2-0 ahead, United gradually lost control. Brighton kept playing, kept creating and United simply could not stop the momentum from changing.

That is perhaps the most worrying part.

This defeat cannot be looked at in isolation.

United have only four points from their opening four Premier League matches. One win, one draw and two defeats.

They sit 13th and are now out of the Carabao Cup as well. This was also their third consecutive domestic cup defeat after last season's exits against Grimsby Town and Brighton.

So who takes the blame?

There is plenty to go around.

Michael Carrick admitted afterwards that the second half performance was on him.

And it has to be.

When your team are 2-0 ahead at Old Trafford after just 10 minutes, you should be able to manage the game much better than this.

Yes, United had rotated their team, but so had Brighton. That cannot be used as an excuse for what followed.

There was a lack of intensity. United became passive and Brighton were allowed to grow into the game.

These questions are not completely new either. United's energy and intensity have already been questioned this season. They run less than their opponents.

A Manchester United team can lose football matches. But repeatedly looking passive is much harder to accept.

The manager cannot control everything from the touchline.

At some point, the players have to recognise what is happening.

Keep the ball. Win a challenge. Slow the game down. Push the team forward.

United did none of those things well enough.

Brighton sensed weakness and went after them.

And this is where INEOS and United's football hierarchy have questions to answer.

Manchester United fans had been fed up with the Glazers for years. Then came INEOS, who took control of the club's football operations, and naturally there were expectations that things would change.

But the fans do not like what they are seeing now either. Frustration has grown, and recent protests have been directed at both the Glazers and INEOS.

United spent heavily rebuilding the midfield this summer, bringing in Carlos Baleba, Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans for around £155 million in initial fees.

The midfield needed work, so there is nothing wrong with addressing it.

But squad building is about more than fixing one area.

Defence has been a major problem for United for years. There have been different combinations, constant injuries and questions over several positions.

Yet the defence was largely allowed to stagnate this summer.

United wanted another left back and considered several options, including Lewis Hall, but nobody arrived. Luke Shaw remains the specialist option, with Patrick Dorgu, Diogo Dalot, Noussair Mazraoui and others capable of filling in. There were also concerns over the centre back options before the window.

For a team back in the Champions League, that feels like a gamble.

The attack has another obvious issue.

Benjamin Sesko is the main striker. Behind him, Joshua Zirkzee remains one of the options.

And right now, Zirkzee simply does not look like a convincing alternative as a No 9.

He has scored only five goals in 54 Premier League appearances, and questions over exactly where he fits in this team have existed for some time.

United's own players reportedly felt another centre forward was needed during the summer, while Zirkzee staying also affected what United could do late in the window.

Again, that comes back to squad building.

Different managers. Different players. Different executives.

Yet some of the same problems remain.

Carrick deserves criticism because this team should never be losing from 2-0 up at Old Trafford.

When he arrived, Carrick brought excitement back to United. They had no midweek games and could focus on one match a week, and they did well under him.

This season is different.

Teams have had time to understand how United play. Midweek games are back, rotation is necessary and Carrick has to manage his squad differently.

There is also no Casemiro, who regularly bailed United out with important goals from set pieces. Carrick now has to find other solutions.

And there is no quick fix now. United cannot go back into the transfer market until January at the earliest, so Carrick has to find solutions with what he has.

Four points from four Premier League games. Out of the Carabao Cup. A two goal lead thrown away at Old Trafford for the first time in 50 years.

The season is still young.

But Manchester United are already in trouble.