Man Utd 2-1 Brentford: Post-match reaction

ManchesterWorld

Michael Plant gives his thoughts after Manchester United's 2-1 victory over Brentford on Saturday.

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00:00 I don't think they offered enough going forward, I don't think defensively they were sound

00:27 enough and they were very fortunate to come away with three points but I think for the

00:31 United fans who are here today all they will be delighted about is that they have got those

00:34 three points on a very important weekend for them given the poor run and poor start of

00:38 the season they have had so far.

00:39 If we have a little quick synopsis of the game, Manchester United, not much happened

00:45 in the first 25 minutes or so until Brentford scored, three individual errors for a Manchester

00:48 United goal once again, it's just remarkable how many mistakes and how many issues there

00:51 are on this Manchester United side at the moment.

00:53 Casemiro sloppy ball in midfield, launched a Brentford counter attack, Victor Lindelof

00:59 failed to effectively clear from that, ball fell to Matthias Jansen in the Manchester

01:04 United box, he shot, Andre Nanna managed to get down and get a hand of the ball but still

01:08 couldn't keep it out, another issue, another problem for him once again, another mistake

01:11 for the new Manchester United goalkeeper which resulted in United going 1-0 down, that was

01:16 scored half time, United offered very little in that first half, didn't offer many attacks,

01:20 really disjointed actually, their attacks were very worrying display I think once again

01:25 from United, that continued into the second half, for long periods of the second half,

01:28 I mean Brentford sat really deep but once they went 1-0 up I think they were just happy

01:31 to defend, looked to break on the counter attack, I think the best thing you can say

01:34 about United is that certainly if there ever was going to be a goal in the second half

01:38 it was always going to be United who were going to score at Brentford, they did limit

01:40 Brentford's opportunities but that's as best as it gets from United.

01:44 They did create chances, to be fair to Tenhike put on a number of changes, brought on Ante

01:49 Martial, Alejandro Granacho, Anthony and Christian Eriksen but it was the fifth substitution,

01:55 fifth and final substitution of the game that made the big difference, Scott McTominay.

02:14 They losing as we went into the 90th minute, somehow come away with a 2-1 win, the first

02:18 one, I think if you look at McTominay, really good control and touch in the box, managed

02:22 to get a shot past the Brentford goalkeeper to give United a lead.

02:25 I think it was the 93rd minute and then incredibly in the 97th minute Bruno Fernandes puts in

02:30 a cross from a free kick, Harry Maguire gets a little touch on it and there's Scott McTominay

02:34 to head it home.

02:35 Look, I think it very much masks what was a disappointing afternoon once again for United,

02:39 so so underwhelming, they just continue to make so many mistakes, they cannot defend

02:46 as a unit, their attack is, you know, I was watching the game at the time and I was thinking

02:51 Brentford have a real, there's a clear plan of what Brentford want to do when they get

02:54 the ball, you know, certain players are moving in certain positions, it's all fast, it's

02:57 all quick, there's link up play between them.

02:59 United was just kind of knocking the ball about, it all seemed a bit off the cuff, it

03:02 didn't really seem there was a real plan there and look I think Ten Hag's a really good manager

03:06 but I think he's got to improve on this drastically, really, really quickly and listen, after the

03:09 game he talked about the good aspects of today, he talked about how Brentford had barely done

03:15 anything in the second half, how United deserve the three points but I think that masks so

03:18 many of the problems as I say and I think if he's honest with himself he does know that

03:23 this has to change.

03:24 He actually did say that he hopes today is kind of a bit of a turning point in the season,

03:27 it marks a decisive change and yeah, really disappointing display once again I think for

03:32 United despite taking away the three points.

03:34 Thomas Frank actually said, I mean he said it was unfair that Brentford didn't win this

03:38 game, I would agree with him, you know, certainly could not argue with that assessment I would

03:43 say, he was just quite off fair enough going forward, that they were too, perhaps being

03:54 too interested in just defending but I mean you say that it's all fine margins, if they

03:58 do manage to go away with a win then you would say they actually defended very well and to

04:01 be fair up until the goals actually United didn't really create any clear cut chances

04:05 so just a difficult one for them today for Brentford but for United, big win, especially

04:09 going into the international break, there was a whole load of records that if United

04:11 would have lost today that they would have set, I mean the first time they'd have lost

04:15 to Brentford at home since 1937, the first time in something like 37 years, since 1979

04:21 that they would have lost three home games in a row so they've avoided those records

04:25 and listen they'll have two weeks where they'll reflect on this and enjoy this but ten high

04:28 because he said afterwards we'll hope that this is a big turning point.

04:31 Just one little thing from after the game, I mean interesting today that Casemiro partly

04:36 fault for the first goal, it's had a really disappointing start to the season in my eyes

04:39 it's really so far off the player that was last season in terms of so many things, in

04:44 terms of physically he looks awful, his range of pass isn't quite at it and defensively

04:50 he's just simply not able to shield the back four, he actually played slightly more advanced

04:54 today with the softened amour-bats sitting defending, sitting shielding the back four

04:57 but Casemiro was taken off at half time to put Christian Eriksen on and ten high was

05:01 asked about that after the game and he said basically he wanted a bit more link up play,

05:05 a bit more passing range as well so I think it's a bit of a worrying trend here developing

05:10 for Casemiro, I should also say that Raphael Varane missed the game with what was described

05:14 as a minor issue, he just keeps missing so many matches through these little knocks and

05:18 little niggles it is becoming a big issue I think for United, their best defender is

05:23 out so often, Harry Maguire and Johnny Evans actually played at centre back today, I mean

05:28 fourth and fifth choice centre back starting, you had Viktor Lindelof at left back, Lindelof

05:31 was not good once again today, I think he's really been disappointed and actually last

05:35 couple of games Diogo Dalo was at right back, United were without six defenders, six senior

05:42 defenders today in terms of injury so he'll hope for the next game back which is away

05:46 to Sheffield United in two weeks obviously after the international break he will hope

05:49 that he does have some of those players back but it really is a cause for concern at the

05:53 moment for Manchester United.

05:56 As I say two week international break now but still plenty of news as always with Manchester

05:59 United and of course Manchester City as well who play Arsenal tomorrow so make sure to

06:03 check out Manchester World for all the latest news from tonight's game and then of course

06:07 from the Emirates tomorrow but from me, Michael Plant from outside Old Trafford, thank you

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