The 82-year-old former MU coach was not present in the stands at Old Trafford nor in the team's dressing room before the match against Brentford on the evening of October 19. Previously, INEOS Group - co-owner of MU - cut the ambassadorial role that Mr. Alex Ferguson had held since 2013. According to British media, this action is part of a cost-cutting campaign by billionaire Jim Ratcliffe - representative of INEOS Group.
However, the decision has been heavily criticized by MU fans and legends of the English team such as Rio Ferdinand and Cantona. Even in the press conference before the match against Brentford, coach Erik ten Hag himself confirmed that the spirit of MU players is being seriously affected, especially when they are going through a series of 5 consecutive matches without a win.
MU entered the match against Brentford with heavy pressure.
Without good spirit, MU also encountered many difficulties in terms of squad. In addition to the long-term absence of Mason Mount and new signing Leny Yoro, the "Red Devils" have just lost another important player in the midfield, Mainoo. Therefore, although not wanting to, coach Erik ten Hag was forced to use players who were not in good form such as Matthijs de Ligt, Lisandro Martinez and Casemiro in the starting lineup.
But compared to the most recent match (0-0 draw with Aston Villa), MU entered the match with a high level of initiative. The Old Trafford team held the ball for 60% of the time and had 10 shots in the first half, twice as many as the visiting team Brentford. However, the ability to take advantage of opportunities is still the weakness of MU's strikers when they continuously missed good chances despite having a lot of space in front of them.
Rasmus Hojlund - the striker who was positioned to play highest up the MU attack line, played outstandingly in the first half. The Danish player moved widely and often acted as a good wall, opening up opportunities for the surrounding satellites such as Rashford and Garnacho. Unfortunately, the two wingers of the "Red Devils" both finished inaccurately.
MU's attack had many opportunities in the first half but could not score.
On the other side of the front line, Brentford also proved that they are always dangerous when attacking. Bryan Mbeumo with good speed made MU's defense struggle to block. In the 30th minute, Bryan Mbeumo himself had a dangerous kick, forcing Onana to fly as far as possible to block.
At the end of the first half, Brentford unexpectedly opened the scoring. Starting from a corner kick on the left wing, Ethan Pinnock jumped high and comfortably headed the ball, putting the away team up 1-0. After this situation, the MU coaching staff also began to argue fiercely with the referee team because at the time Ethan Pinnock scored, center-back Matthijs de Ligt had to be on the sidelines for medical care, MU only played with 10 men.
Brentford took the lead when Matthijs de Ligt left the pitch to receive treatment for his injury
Receiving a cold shower in the first half, MU completely changed their face in the second half. The Manchester team increased the attack tempo and played more directly. The left wing - where Garnacho was present - became the main attack direction. It took only 2 minutes after the second half started for the Argentine player to bring MU the equalizer 1-1.
Continuing the momentum, Garnacho had another dangerous shot in the 50th minute but could not beat the away team's goalkeeper Mark Flekken. However, Garnacho did not have to regret for too long when Rasmus Højlund made a delicate pass, putting MU ahead 2-1 in the 62nd minute.
Rasmus Højlund and Garnacho (number 17) scored to help MU come back
In the last 30 minutes, MU was still the team controlling the game. Although they could not score more goals, the home team still maintained their fast-paced style of play and dominated the number of scoring opportunities. This change surprised Sky Sports in the UK during the live broadcast.
“This is a side that fans have never seen in MU's playing style since the beginning of the 2024-2025 season. The "Red Devils" attack quickly, neatly and coherently. Off the field, coach Erik ten Hag also shouted more, boosting the spirit of MU players. With the current playing style, it is difficult for us to think about the prospect of coach Erik ten Hag being fired. It seems that after the FIFA Days series, the Dutch coach is being held back by his students," said the commentator of Sky Sports channel.
Coach Erik ten Hag (left) happily celebrates when MU makes a comeback
In the end, MU won 2-1 against Brentford. This was also MU's first win after a series of 5 matches with only draws and losses in all competitions. Coach Erik ten Hag's students currently have 11 points, rising to 10th place. In the next match, MU will travel to Türkiye to play as guests at Fenerbahçe (October 25) in the UEFA Europa League.
In the matches at the same time, Aston Villa won 3-1 against Fulham, Leicester City defeated Southampton 3-2 and Newcastle lost 0-1 at Brighton. Before that, Tottenham had a resounding 4-1 victory when hosting West Ham.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/manchester-united-nguoc-dong-ha-brentford-185241019222217467.htm
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