Jamie Redknapp used Manchester United's collapse against Brighton to go straight at Leny Yoro and Ayden Heaven. United threw away a 2-0 lead at Old Trafford, and Pascal Groß's equaliser came after both defenders were out of position in the build-up. Redknapp said they showed their inexperience and warned they may not play for Manchester United regularly if that does not change.
Redknapp's criticism of United's young defenders
Redknapp's point was not really about one mistake. It was about the way United defended the moment Brighton pressed them back, with Heaven and Yoro slow to react and Groß left with a chance that should not have been so open.
"You've got Yoro on the far side, Santos is getting pressurised there all game, kept giving the ball away. The ball goes to Ayden Heaven, get it out to Yoro, they're getting pressured," Redknapp told mirror.co.uk.
He added: "You've got to go, you've got to be aggressive, both of them there, they showed their inexperience and if that doesn't change, they won't play for Man United regularly."
That is the line that will sting most inside United. Redknapp was not talking about their long-term ceiling. He was talking about whether either player can handle regular starts if the basics, urgency and anticipation are not there.
Carrick's defence of Yoro
Michael Carrick took the opposite line after the defeat. Speaking to BBC Sport, he said: "I've got no worries for Leny. He's got a fantastic future ahead of him."
He also warned against judging the defender too quickly, saying: "What we've got to be careful of, and I certainly won't do, is making knee-jerk decisions on certain players just because of one game or one half or one moment in a game. We've got a lot of belief in Leny."
Carrick also said the team's results are on him and that he is not hiding away from the pressure. That leaves United with a familiar split: one voice treating the Brighton collapse as a warning about readiness, another insisting Yoro should not be written off after one rough night.
Ruben Amorim's earlier comments about Heaven have made the reaction even harsher. He said Heaven was so relaxed that sometimes he is too relaxed, and that old warning now sits awkwardly next to the latest criticism.
The debate is likely to linger because the error was not abstract. It came in a game United had controlled, and it came from a defensive pair who were asked to handle pressure in a big moment and did not.
United's next league trip is to Fulham at Craven Cottage before the September international break, so the conversation around Yoro and Heaven will not wait long. Carrick has backed Yoro, Redknapp has questioned both, and the next selection call will show which view carries more weight.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →
