The pressure on Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim grew heavier on Saturday after his side slumped to a damaging 3-1 defeat at Brentford, a performance that left the Portuguese coach admitting he felt “hurt.”
United’s defensive frailties were once again brutally exposed, as they found themselves two goals down inside 20 minutes. Brentford’s intensity, direct play, and sharpness in key moments proved too much for a disjointed United backline.
There was brief hope when £74 million summer signing Benjamin Sesko marked his first goal for the club to halve the deficit. But the momentum swung back when Bruno Fernandes squandered the chance to equalize, his penalty saved by Mark Flekken. From there, it was Brentford who struck the decisive blow, with substitute Mathias Jensen adding a third to seal United’s misery.
For Ruben Amorim, it was another sobering reminder of how far this team still is from stability. “It’s always the same to lose at this club, it hurts a lot,” he said afterwards. “We didn’t control the game. We played Brentford’s game — first balls, second balls, set-pieces. All the crucial moments went against us. We need to do better, and we need to think about the next one.”
The stats paint an unforgiving picture. Since Ruben Amorim took charge nearly a year ago, United have managed just 34 points from 33 league games. They have yet to win back-to-back Premier League fixtures under him, have already been knocked out of the EFL Cup by League Two side Grimsby, and sit with only seven points from a possible 18 this season.
Former City defender Micah Richards, speaking on Match of the Day, didn’t hold back in his assessment of United’s defending. “Shambolic,” he called it. “The system is hampering them. They’re not sure where they’re meant to be. Maguire was gambling for the first goal when there was no need, De Ligt didn’t know where he was going. It’s confusion everywhere — the system doesn’t suit the players.”
With Arsenal, City, and now Brentford all having beaten United already this campaign, questions over Amorim’s tactical approach and his future at Old Trafford are only growing louder. For the fans, patience is running thin; for Ruben Amorim, the margin for error looks slimmer every week.
