PL D FA Premier League

Brentford 1:1 Manchester United

Post-match discussion


Sat, 30 March 2024

I don't think xG is relevant in regard to Liverpool messing up counters when they had the numerical advantage. If a chance isn't created then xG isn't involved (?) but you would say Liverpool certainly SHOULD have created some good chances out of those opportunities

I still think we were the better team, but they were uncharacteristically bad at taking advantage of those situations

They had a 5 on 2 at one point that they ended up not getting a shot away from, it might not show up on XG but that is a huge missed opportunity. Utd absolutely had the better of the last 30-40 mins to be fair but it was pure chaos at that stage, Ten Hag deserves credit for going for it, taking the risks, but is was hardly from genius tactical revelation.
 
whatever minute chance we had for top 4 ,goes out with this crap performance. We have a bunch of bang average players, who get inspired / motivated for some bigger games and play out of their skin. Top players and characters will turn in week in week out.
 
Atrocious performance. Started losing just about every challenge after 12 minutes or so and turned over the ball constantly.

Our base level isn‘t high enough to allow for an off-day: when not at our best, we get played off the park.
 
It was so bad, I couldn’t bring myself to celebrate the goal.

The tactics are insane - we barely press or contest the opposition and when we attack, we over commit players without taking care of the ball, which leads us wide open on the counter.

There’s no basic organisation.
 
It was so bad, I couldn’t bring myself to celebrate the goal.

The tactics are insane - we barely press or contest the opposition and when we attack, we over commit players without taking care of the ball, which leads us wide open on the counter.

There’s no basic organisation.
We did press, it was not the issue.

The problem was not winning our duels and as you say, not taking care of the ball. And not defending a lead (a fecking undeserved one).
 
Conceding to a cut back just like old times, McT having no defensive awareness whatsoever and running all the way back to goal.

31 shots conceded and we keep not learning our lesson with this. If there was a reason ETH should lose his job it should be that, because it is almost entirely tactical.

Fed up on having a team with players constantly coming back from injury and needed a run of games to get up to speed. Injuries have ruined our season and make it impossible for us to play anything approaching good football for more than 30min per game, if at all.
This is why you use your huge resources as an Elite club and have a big squad of 26/27 players. The hard work starts this summer 9 or 10 out, 2 or 3 released and 7 or 8 signed that’s what’s needed this summer just for a start, we only need three or four players over 30 in the squad, no more.
Ironically the one player we should resign is Raphael Varane and make him captain, Maguire or Evans can stay one more season and Bruno gets one year to prove at 30 which he turns in September he’s worth keeping.

What’s also so concerning are the huge frequency of injuries, either the players we have are brittle or the training is far too intensive, something needs to change and change quickly. We actually do need 7/8 players incoming this summer just to try and change the type of football we play.
We have no elite options at right back to create, we have now physical athletes at CB who can defend wide spaces and play a high line. We need too many chances to score and need a huge upgrade in at least two more attackers in but most importantly, we genuinely need 3 Midfield players.

The club is crying out for a Ngolo Kante or Ya Ya Toure type number 6, we need a creative number 8 but most important we Need Bruno replacement, where we start to phase him out! Florian Witz, Dani Olmo, Eze from palace, even Morgan Gibbs white we need another young hungry player to put Bruno on the bench for a bit!
 
Over half this forum are happy with the manager so, getting what we deserve. Having a 0 goal difference has become acceptable. Feckin disgrace
 
Rangnick talked about the lack of physicality and the squad of weaklings we have , that was never more demonstrated than what we saw last night

We were bullied off the ball and humiliated by Brentford , if they had their shooting boots on we would have been beat by 4 or 5 and deserved to be.

No Utd team should ever look as weak and disjointed as we did last night.

As usual any good will from the Liverpool game is lost straight away the next game when they show us how utterly pathetic we really are right now.
 
For once I'm delighted at the clocks going forward as it means we're one hour nearer to the end of the season.
 
whatever minute chance we had for top 4 ,goes out with this crap performance. We have a bunch of bang average players, who get inspired / motivated for some bigger games and play out of their skin. Top players and characters will turn in week in week out.

Are we the game raising c**ts??
 
Probably the worst performance i can remember in 70 years of watching the reds and in that time i have watched some dross.
Is it the fault of the management...probably.
Is it the fault of the players....most definitely
Lack of skill can be somewhat excused, but commitment and effort is totally inexcusable which was clearly in evidence last night.
We seem to have a number of players who are good at working the media with the commitment to the club and badge but is lacking in evidence on match day.
We've been taught the first thing is to win your individual battles and leave nothing behind when you leave the pitch. Brentford clearly showed us how that was done.
Onana and McGuire were perhaps the only two players i would excuse from this criticism and maybe Mason Mount. With the back up of
the post and crossbar!!!
Just remind yourself of some players from the past, Nobby Stiles, Paddy Crerand, Brian Robson and Roy Keane, who would all run through brick walls for the club.
Despairing times.
 
My player rating for this game was 1 point above the average, this was awarded because all our players found their way on to and off the pitch at the right time and all were wearing the right number shirt...Erik you are making progress son!!
 
One of the worse performances of the season, right up there with Forest and Spurs away. Even when we went ahead, I wasn't at all convinced we'd win - we are incapable of defending a lead for more than five minutes. Do wonder if Onana could have done better with the shot.

Anonymous performances again from Bruno and Rashord, Garno look exhausted and Hojilund doesn't look match fit, injury came at such a bad time for him.

Reasonable performance by the full back and from Varane and Lindelof. And that's it
 
The was a relatively long check for a red card challenge by a Brentford player around the 80 minute mark. He got a yellow but despite the delay, not one replay was shown by the dicks at Sky. Couldn’t give a feck if it’s Rawkish but if that’s one of our players, we’d certainly have had at least four angles of the challenge in sooper dooper slo-mo.
 
Was anyone really surprised by that come down after the Liverpool game?

Multiple people were calling it in the wake of the euphoria. This team was never going to ‘kick on’ & the Liverpool performance wasn’t sustainable.

I cant even muster disappointment in this lot anymore.

Ineos, do your thing. No one is safe.
You'd think most people would have wised up by now, after all the countless false dawns over the last 11 years, but apparently not!
 
If its any consolation - they weren't wearing out shirt but some disgusting NUFC lookalike. Horrible shirt. Horrible players. Horrible game.
OK, not only are they not worthy of wearing ANY Manchester United shirt they are not worthy of playing for the club or representing it. I aim this towards all the so called senior players, not just those who played today; Maguire, Varane, Lindelof, Shaw, Rashford, Antony, Martial, Wan Bissaka, Bruno, Erikson, Casemiro, none of these would have got even close to playing in any of the great teams of the past, right the way back to the Busby Babes. They have no desire, no spirit, no fight, no sense of responsibility and seem to think that if they put in a decent performance and display now and then theyre doing their jobs. SAF and Sir Matt would have shipped them all out long ago, but then again they wouldnt have signed them in the first place.
 
You'd think most people would have wised up by now, after all the countless false dawns over the last 11 years, but apparently not!
Hope springs eternal, but as far as Im concerned this particular spring has run dry.
 
I can't understand how devoid of energy we look.

Since SAF left,, our players look shite scared of the ball. No one wants it. Watching any other team and everyone seems to be so comfortable on the ball,, our players are just scared of the ball.

Another season ends as a dud

Next year is our year.
 
The midfielders and attackers most definitely need calling out, for their complete lack of attacking ability, effort and defensive cover. Imo it's harsh to criticise the defenders, when match after match, they are facing a barrage, due to the opposition romping through a non existent midfield. To only concede one goal last night shows how well we defended, as well as Brentford's profligacy.
 
Probably the worst performance i can remember in 70 years of watching the reds and in that time i have watched some dross.
Is it the fault of the management...probably.
Is it the fault of the players....most definitely
Lack of skill can be somewhat excused, but commitment and effort is totally inexcusable which was clearly in evidence last night.
We seem to have a number of players who are good at working the media with the commitment to the club and badge but is lacking in evidence on match day.
We've been taught the first thing is to win your individual battles and leave nothing behind when you leave the pitch. Brentford clearly showed us how that was done.
Onana and McGuire were perhaps the only two players i would excuse from this criticism and maybe Mason Mount. With the back up of
the post and crossbar!!!
Just remind yourself of some players from the past, Nobby Stiles, Paddy Crerand, Brian Robson and Roy Keane, who would all run through brick walls for the club.
Despairing times.

How old are you?
 
How old are you?
I heartily agree with everything you say; none of the players on our books today, with the exceptions of Mainoo, Garnacho and Hojlund would have got anywhere near playing for our great teams of the past. Law, Best Charlton, Crerand...and Rashford? I dont think so. Scholes, Keanne, Beckham, Giggs......and Fernandes? Never in a million years. Bruce, Pallister, Staam, Irwin.....and Maguire? Dont make me laugh. Onana for Schmeichel, Van der Sar or Stepney? I dont think so.
We have a squad of senior players none of whom are worthy enough to play for Manchester United; none of whom care enough, try enough, do enough or want it enough....prima donna posers to a man.
 
Clearly not, some of the histrionics on the Caf today are tremendous.

Been feeling rough for the last 48 hrs, but some of the post-match OUTRAGE has really brightened my day!
It's been an entire season of performances like yesterday's. You have no reason to be smug about it.
 
I don't know enough about tactics so usually do not comment on ETH and the team's approach. But, all I have to say is, it sure feels like we don't have any.
 
That’s kind of my point Ben.

WHY ALL THE OUTRAGE?

THIS IS HARDLY A SURPRISE.

There’s no smugness here
When you buy a washing machine or something if it doesnt work youre fully entitled to a refund. Well, we have a team that doesnt work and doesnt want to work, ie run, chase, fight etc but we dont expect to get refunds for our tickets, but we do expect to see our team work, to try, to engage, to fight.....but they very rarely do and its simply not good enough. Thats why youre seing "outrage"
 
A cracking Saturday's night entertainment - even if we ended up with less than we deserved.
 
I keep saying about there is no physicality in this side. We get bullied by every team we play. We are mentally weak as well. We don't have one hard man in this side, I don't mean someone who whinges, I mean scare the s**t out of the opposition, that you would think twice going up against them.
I have an Arsenal loving friend and we talk about their two CBs, Gabriel and Saliba, as the Bullies. Every week those two physically dominate their opposition, both defending and in the opposition box for corners and set-pieces. They both seem like they're able to win headers regularly and also able to win sprints for balls in behind.

And it is so embarrassing to compare the Bullies to whoever it is that we throw out. I know that Varane and Lindelof aren't our number 1 options, but they are both about as far away from bullying forwards as you can get. Victor is all handsome and super nice and loves helping people up from the ground with a huge smile on his face, after getting dominated the entire match. And Varane looks like he might rather be at home reading by the fire.

I love Martinez and hope he can get fully fit, as he is at least mean and wants to physically rough up attackers. But he isn't going to have half of the aerial dominance of the Bullies. And Harry just looks like he might start crying at any moment, which isn't exactly intimidating.
 
I think only 3 or 4 still support ETH at this point.
I doubt there are any regular posters who claim ETH is doing well or he is an awesome manager who is being misunderstood or something of that sort. Jose and even Ole had some blind support here.

The discussions on ETH are mostly arguments on "whether firing ETH right now will help" or "are all problems because of ETH or are some of them are because of players" or "whether ETH decision can be delayed till proper structure is in place", etc etc.
 
whatever minute chance we had for top 4 ,goes out with this crap performance. We have a bunch of bang average players, who get inspired / motivated for some bigger games and play out of their skin. Top players and characters will turn in week in week out.
The players raised their game to win against Liverpool, after they had been outclassed in the second half and would have lost if Liverpool had took their chances. I can't remember any other games where they were inspired or raised their game, besides the comeback win against Villa.
if Brentford had a bit of luck, they could have had 4 or 5 goals
There is no intensity or urgency to win, it's like the result doesn't matter to half the players. We have speed up front in Rashford, Garnacho and Hojlund yet our build up play is at pedestrian pace giving the opposition all kinds of time to defend and cover the man, then we resort to hopeful passes conceding possession.
I honestly don't know what we work on in training, we're even poor at the basics of corners and free kicks.
 
I don't know enough about tactics so usually do not comment on ETH and the team's approach. But, all I have to say is, it sure feels like we don't have any.

We don't, or at least they are not clear if you watch the players.

In games like this when clearly nothing is working I've started to focus on trying to watch individual players, just for five minutes or so (not easy if you are not present in the ground, but still possible even on TV)) watching what they do and where they go, its amazing what you see, players detached either in their positioning, their culpability in 'ball watching', the lack of communication with those around them, the amount of times they are caught on 'their heels' when they should be on the front foot. Set plays are the only time when they seem to be sure about what to do... not that it helps that much.

What do they do at Carrington?
 
We don't, or at least they are not clear if you watch the players.

In games like this when clearly nothing is working I've started to focus on trying to watch individual players, just for five minutes or so (not easy if you are not present in the ground, but still possible even on TV)) watching what they do and where they go, its amazing what you see, players detached either in their positioning, their culpability in 'ball watching', the lack of communication with those around them, the amount of times they are caught on 'their heels' when they should be on the front foot. Set plays are the only time when they seem to be sure about what to do... not that it helps that much.

What do they do at Carrington?

Thanks for the feedback, it's depressing.
 

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.
Show more results Score Predictions League Table

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