PL D FA Premier League

Brentford 1:1 Manchester United

Post-match discussion


Sat, 30 March 2024

To me, that is the most humiliating performance I’ve seen from us. Worse than 0-7 against Liverpool, worse than any defeat against City. This was Brentford, having lost 76 games on the trot, utterly dominating us for 104 minutes.

As bad as we’ve been this season, I am genuinely shocked by what I’ve just witnessed.
 
Dominated by a real terrible team tonight. There's no pattern to our passing and if there's a clear plan, I couldn't tell you what it is. Rashford can't play against a low block team and we've known this for years now. Darlot pushing inside doesn't work as it leaves us very narrow and easy to defend against.

2.67 vs 0.5 XG

We. Are. Terrible.
 
Dominated by fecking Brentford. And not just for short spells in the game but possibly 60-70min at least. Seriously.
 
First 20 minutes seemed ok, we didn't really create anything but at least we were playing most of the game in their half and limiting any danger, but then it just got progressively worse, yet again the opposition started finding holes to exploit and then just spent the rest of the match having shooting practise while we struggled to hold onto the ball and build any sort of meaningful pressure or threat. We looked lethargic and lost with players constantly clueless in both attacking and defensive situations, I'm ready for the season to be over.
 
The ball was in the air a lot. Brentford won it or the follow up ball what felt like 90% of the time. Our defenders and goalkeepers were worked extremely hard and Varane wasnt up to it and had to come off at half time. I'll give Lindelof some credit he tried hard, harder than normal and he won some of those balls in the air. But he wasnt used to so much being asked of him either and couldnt last the 90. Dalot and AWB were worked hard as well with wingbacks constantly finding space and the goalkeeper had to make plenty of saves too. With any less luck we would have conceeded 2 or 3 goals.

Credit to Mount for a good touch and finish. To Onana for making some saves and to Lindelof for effort to be more of a factor than normal
 
As an aside, I was impressed with Ajer tonight. Apparently he's not normally even their first choice right?
 
We are a very very long way from focusing on the league.

By focusing on the league I mean secure CL football while developing a team that plays progressive football and like a team. You can't do that with a squad like ours whist also going all out for the Europa.
 
Have absolutely no idea how the hell we managed to get away with a point here, but given how one sided that game was, I will take it.

The level of performance is so far below what you'd expect from a United team it is farcical, but it's just a case of seeing out the season now. Performances really don't matter anymore - we just need points on the board.
 
Absolute garbage all over the pitch. Sad thing is it was expected. I had no confidence we would turn up, especially after Spurs and Villa winning. Absolute bottle jobs and EtH needs a good long look at himself. I’m fuming at that display.

That's the worst part. No one is that surprised. You just feared we had this performance in us, even after the Pool game. If that isn't indictment enough, I don't know what is.
 
Honestly, I'm more annoyed now then I would have been if we had just lost 2-0.

Instead we have to ensure the frailties we showed for 90 odd minutes, plus the fact that we're not capable of seeing out a game when we've somehow taken the lead with 5 minutes to go.
 
Wan Bissaka playing Toney on at the end. Always lagging behind the others, so annoying
 
By focusing on the league I mean secure CL football while developing a team that plays progressive football and like a team. You can't do that with a squad like ours whist also going all out for the Europa.

Not with this squad of spineless muppets.
 
You'd have to go way way down the leagues to find a team that does the basics as poorly as this United team.
 
Dominated by a real terrible team tonight. There's no pattern to our passing and if there's a clear plan, I couldn't tell you what it is. Rashford can't play against a low block team and we've known this for years now. Darlot pushing inside doesn't work as it leaves us very narrow and easy to defend against.

2.67 vs 0.5 XG

We. Are. Terrible.
Pushing Dalot inside feels like copying Pep for the sake of it.
 
Shocking. Even with the lifeline of stealing the win we still shit the bed. Unbelievable how easy it was for the to equalise
 
I think we'll look back on this game in 10 years and recall how awful we were tonight. It was genuinely one of the most insipid performances I have seen from United, or any team in the Premier League.
 
We were crap. But Bruno ruining every move by shooting from 30 yards out didn’t help.

Happy for Mount. Hopefully this can be the start of us having an alternative to Bruno in the number 10
 
That was one of those in the toxic/unforgivable category.

Rashford’s body language irked me. The way we just allowed Hojlund to get completely isolated and didn’t even try to change that was horrendous, and the collective midfield just can’t combat in any way, shape or form.

To come back to that after the FA Cup game is a real eye opener and served as a healthy reminder of what an utter shit show the football side of the club really is.

31 shots to Brentford in 23/24 wouldn’t be acceptable for fecking Luton, never mind us.
 
He's coached any sort of footballing talent out of this team. They can't control the ball for more than 2 passes. I don't think I've seen a team of players happier to boot the ball out of play. 14 corners for Brentford.

They had 31 shots on our goal. And 87 touches in our box. Let that sink in.

This has to be the worst United side I have seen. Every single time we lost possession, it resulted in a shot on our goal. You have do something about that. If you are this vulnerable on the counter, then you need to learn how to keep the ball. The forwards need to keep the ball higher up the pitch.

We got bullied all over the pitch. Second to every tackle. Second to every loose ball.

Nights like this make me think that Ten Hag just aint the guy.
 
If ETH does not call out the performance in his post-match interview I’m done with this fraud. I hope he isn’t the weak link in our re-build next season. We won’t have CL football so good chance to really focus on domestic cups and league.
 
Back four? AWB went awol, and Linde, Maguire and Licha tried to set up a dozen chances for Brentford.
Licha was obviously poor, but the rest kept us in it. Our non existent midfield and our attacks inability to hold the ball, create anything, or track back were the issue.
 
Honestly, I'm more annoyed now then I would have been if we had just lost 2-0.

Instead we have to ensure the frailties we showed for 90 odd minutes, plus the fact that we're not capable of seeing out a game when we've somehow taken the lead with 5 minutes to go.

Such a bizarre game. We'd have all grabbed a 0-0 seeing how that game was going.
Then an unthinkable stolen "winner", miles past 90mins, and amazingly we couldn't even deal with 45seconds more action without suddenly dropping trou.

It was almost QPR style v Man City once they'd heard they were safe.
 
INEOS really have to be ruthless in the summer to correct this shite. A top winger and striker desperately needed among about 4 or 5 others.
 
Not with this squad of spineless muppets.

If you only prioritise the league you can get away with a squad of 16-17 senior players and the rest be young players. You can actually accelerate building a team that way. And that is what I would most like to see at this club. A complete overhaul. We've got a few very promising young players now and loads of average or over-hyped players on contracts they do not deserve. If INEOS can start cutting losses on half the squad that would be a lovely thing to see and it would rekindle some hope for the club.
 
Sickening we couldn't hold on after nearly burgling them for the second team this season
 
Licha was obviously poor, but the rest kept us in it. Our non existent midfield and our attacks inability to hold the ball, create anything, or track back were the issue.
I’d say Maguire kept us in it more…
 
What is ETH's excuse tonight? That was the same team that played Liverpool.. On another day Brentford win this by 5 or 6
 
Back four? AWB went awol, and Linde, Maguire and Licha tried to set up a dozen chances for Brentford.

Martinez was the absolute definition of rusty, and if there's one game a season we shouldn't play him at all in, it's Brentford. Just looks like a boy amongst giants.

Maguire played well I thought. He's one of the few we have who can cut it against these big physical teams.
 
If you only prioritise the league you can get away with a squad of 16-17 senior players and the rest be young players. You can actually accelerate building a team that way. And that is what I would most like to see at this club. A complete overhaul. We've got a few very promising young players now and loads of average or over-hyped players on contracts they do not deserve. If INEOS can start cutting losses on half the squad that would be a lovely thing to see and it would rekindle some hope for the club.
Fully agree.
 
Awful performance but another point to keep us in the Europa Conference places for next year, Southgates first big test.
 
If ETH does not call out the performance in his post-match interview I’m done with this fraud. I hope he isn’t the weak link in our re-build next season. We won’t have CL football so good chance to really focus on domestic cups and league.

He will high-five himself for subbing on Mount and call us unlucky
 
I’d say Maguire kept us in it more…

It's funny how football works. For all the abuse Maguire got, for all the talk of selling him, there's almost no-one in the league you'd want more when the ball is being lumped in high and long.
 

Player Ratings

4.5 Total Average Rating

Highest Rated Player

Lowest Rated Player

Compiled from 217 ratings.

Score Predictions

131,15,14
  • Man Utd win
  • Brentford win
  • Draw

Detailed Results

  • 29% Brentford 1:2 Man Utd
  • 24% Brentford 1:3 Man Utd
  • 16% Brentford 0:2 Man Utd
  • 6% Brentford 0:3 Man Utd
  • 6% Brentford 1:1 Man Utd
  • 4% Brentford 2:1 Man Utd
  • 3% Brentford 2:2 Man Utd
  • 3% Brentford 0:1 Man Utd
  • 3% Brentford 2:0 Man Utd
  • 2% Brentford 1:4 Man Utd
  • 1% Brentford 3:1 Man Utd
  • 1% Brentford 2:3 Man Utd
  • 1% Brentford 4:1 Man Utd
  • 1% Brentford 6:4 Man Utd
  • 1% Brentford 2:4 Man Utd
  • 1% Brentford 2:9 Man Utd
Compiled from 160 predictions.
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Match Stats

  1. Brentford
  2. Man Utd
Possession
47% 53%
Shots
31 11
Shots on Target
5 5
Corners
14 4
Fouls
7 14

Referee

Simon Hooper