Sophia
It was another whirlwind half of football involving the Red Devils, leaving manager Ruben Amorim with a familiar sense of bewilderment. As Manchester United embarked on their trip to Brentford, Amorim had confessed his uncertainty about his side’s potential performance. The first 45 minutes at the Gtech Community Stadium certainly solidified those fears, offering a chaotic spectacle that would distress any manager.
Amorim, nearing his 11th month in charge, has overseen a tenure plagued by individual errors and glaring inconsistency. His pre-match admission that fans “don’t know what is going to happen in the next game,” and his own candid confession, “to be completely honest, I have an idea, but I don’t know how it’s going to be and I’m the manager of the team,” painted a picture of a manager grappling with the unpredictability of his squad.
Desperate Defending Leaves Amorim Despairing
Amorim’s “idea” certainly wouldn’t have involved trailing 2-0 against Brentford within just 20 minutes. Yet, that’s precisely what transpired as Igor Thiago netted a quick-fire brace, intensifying the pressure on the Red Devils.
The opening goal was a masterclass in defensive fragility. United had been pushing forward when Matheus Cunha was dispossessed. What followed was arguably one of the easiest goals any Premier League side will score this season. A long punt from Jordan Henderson somehow found Thiago in acres of space. He controlled the ball expertly, advanced towards Altay Bayındır’s goal, and unleashed a superb left-footed shot that found the back of the net via the post, leaving the Turkish goalkeeper rooted to the spot.
Bayındır’s positioning for the long ball will undoubtedly face scrutiny, but the defending of Harry Maguire was equally culpable. As the sole defender in United’s half, he inexplicably played Thiago onside, his body shape and weight completely misjudged. He was left scrambling back, with Matthijs de Ligt and Luke Shaw nowhere to be seen, unable to disrupt Thiago’s clinical finish.
If that wasn’t enough, United almost conceded twice more, with Bayındır denying two headers from Sepp van den Berg and Nathan Collins, both Brentford central defenders rising highest with minimal pressure. Minutes later, De Ligt was again caught out by a long ball. Thiago combined with Kevin Schade, whose pullback was fumbled by Bayındır, allowing Thiago to react quicker than Luke Shaw and slot home. Amorim’s exasperated expression on the touchline spoke volumes.
Šeško Scores First Man Utd Goal Amidst Chaos
The echoes of Erik ten Hag’s humiliating 4-0 defeat in August 2022 resonated through the Gtech Community Stadium, as United once again appeared woefully inept. Fortunately, they managed to spark into life, clawing a goal back before the break.
Benjamin’s first goal for United keeps us in it 💪 pic.twitter.com/f5exlZWmw4
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) September 27, 2025
Summer signing Benjamin Šeško eventually found the back of the net, requiring three attempts to finally blast past Caoimhin Kelleher from close range. The 22-year-old’s goal punished what had been some remarkably weak goalkeeping from the Irishman, with Bryan Mbeumo’s mere presence seemingly enough to prevent the former Liverpool stopper from getting a solid glove on Patrick Dorgu’s cross.
Cunha had an effort deflected wide as United ended the half in a more positive fashion. However, the overriding narrative after 45 minutes was how the 13-time Premier League winners had once again shot themselves in the foot with lackadaisical, erratic defending. These conceded goals brought Amorim’s tally to 52 goals conceded in just 33 games – a statistic far too high for a team harboring any hopes of a top-half finish, let alone challenging for higher honors.
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