LONDON — Ruben Amorim spent Friday afternoon at Manchester United’s Carrington coaching middle speaking about the potential of ticking off his first back-to-back Premier League wins and at last injecting some momentum into his reign.
Slightly over 24 hours later, he was sat within the media theatre at Brentford’s Gtech Group Stadium — grim-faced and virtually gray with anguish — mulling over one other defeat and going through questions on whether or not he is nonetheless the suitable man to take this group ahead.
There’s momentum sure, however not within the path Amorim needs.
The Portuguese coach has been in cost for 11 months and it was a day that had the sensation of being again to sq. one. Brentford greater than deserved their 3-1 win. It might have been extra had it not been for a string of saves from Altay Bayindir.
There was a sliding doorways second within the second half when Bruno Fernandes had the prospect to make it 2-2 from the penalty spot, however noticed his kick saved by CaoimhĂn Kelleher. Nathan Collins was lucky he wasn’t despatched off for pulling again Bryan Mbeumo.
As a substitute, United have been made to pay for a disastrous first 20 minutes throughout which they went 2-0 down. It was adopted by a largely lifeless second-half show, regardless of Benjamin Sesko’s first objective for the membership handing them a lifeline on 26 minutes.
Fairly than getting the prospect to speak about consecutive victories and a small step ahead, Amorim was left to sift by means of the rumble of extra damning statistics.
In his 33 Premier League video games, United have received 9, saved 5 clear sheets and purchased simply 34 factors. They have not received away from residence within the league since March.
“While you win you’re feeling that the momentum is right here,” Amorim mentioned. “While you lose, you return to the identical place and also you combat once more for one win that may show you how to to create the momentum.
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“I am at all times doing my job. If I win, I am in a distinct mind-set. That’s regular. However I am at all times assured as a result of I do know what to do.”
If Amorim nonetheless has confidence in himself, it stays to be seen whether or not United’s board retains the identical religion. If nothing else, there is a huge determination on the horizon for co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his assortment of executives if outcomes don’t flip round shortly.
Brentford and Keith Andrews have cranked up the strain one other notch forward of Sunderland’s go to to Previous Trafford subsequent weekend.
“I am simply making an attempt to win the following recreation, create once more the momentum,” Amorim insisted. “That is it.”
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United kicked off towards Brentford as considered one of solely 4 Premier League groups with out a clear sheet up to now this season. And it took the house aspect simply eight minutes to indicate why.
Jordan Henderson heaved an extended ball ahead from virtually the sting of his personal space. Harry Maguire determined towards coping with it himself and tried to step as much as catch Igor Thiago offside. All Maguire succeeded in doing was leaving the Brentford striker with acres of house to smash his end previous Bayindir.
Amorim’s group have been so susceptible that they wanted the Turkey worldwide to maintain the rating respectable with two beautiful saves — first from Sepp van den Berg after which Collins.
Bayindir ought to have executed higher for Brentford’s second objective, however his error — pushing Kevin Schade’s cross into Thiago’s path — was only one in a listing of errors by the group as a complete. Matthijs de Ligt, so good towards Chelsea, and Diogo Dalot will not wish to see the replay. They weren’t alone in making expensive errors.
At 2-0 down after 20 minutes, the 1,700 travelling followers have been having flashbacks of the 4-0 mauling they received right here in Erik ten Hag’s second recreation in cost, in August 2022. It has been greater than three years since, Ten Hag has been changed with Amorim, and but lots of the identical issues are nonetheless there. Most notably in midfield. United have been outnumbered three-on-two and at instances left gaping holes in the midst of the pitch.
At one level within the second half, Fernandes and Manuel Ugarte tried to press Brentford into their backside proper nook and when the ball was manoeuvred out, it left Matheus Cunha on his personal because the deepest midfielder to fend off a counter-attack.
United’s determination to not signal a midfielder in the summertime is wanting an increasing number of misguided by the week.
Maybe they need to have made a transfer for Henderson, who joined Brentford as a free agent in July. He went off right here to a standing ovation from the house followers after controlling the sport from the bottom of midfield.
Henderson was by no means allowed to overlook his hyperlinks with Liverpool by the United followers, who have been tucked into the nook of the stadium. However as he walked off within the 81st minute, you think about a few of them would have been muttering that, even at 35 years outdated, Henderson is a extra helpful possibility than Ugarte, the participant United signed for greater than ÂŁ50 million somewhat over a yr in the past.
“We play this recreation like Brentford needs to play this recreation,” Amorim mentioned. “With lengthy balls, second balls and we by no means calm down our recreation. We suffered objectives in transition that we knew in the course of the week and labored on that. The frustration is that each objective, the objectives at the moment, we work on that in the course of the week. That’s irritating.”
And maybe, amid all the opposite issues, that is Amorim’s greatest fear. He insisted afterward that United had ready all week for Brentford’s game-plan and knew what was coming. They nonetheless could not cope.
It would depart United followers, and probably Ratcliffe, to surprise why will probably be completely different within the week main as much as the now vital recreation towards Sunderland. After the worldwide break, United’s subsequent recreation is away to Liverpool.
The absence of midweek video games in Europe was supposed to hurry up the progress. If something, United seem like a group going backward. For Amorim, the strain is mounting.