Man United boss Ruben Amorim drops bold admission after Brentford loss
Manchester United's struggles in the Premier League persisted with a chaotic 4-3 defeat to Brentford, marking their 16th league loss of the season. Ruben Amorim, the team's manager, attempted to rotate the squad in anticipation of an upcoming UEFA Europa League semifinal but was thwarted by an early injury to Matthijs de Ligt. Despite an initial lead from Mason Mount, defensive errors and set-piece vulnerabilities saw Brentford seize control with goals from Kevin Schade and Wissa. Amorim acknowledged the team's inability to compete effectively in both the Premier League and Champions League due to their current form, emphasizing the importance of their Europa League campaign. United's only hope of salvaging their season lies in securing Europa League success, following a decisive first-leg victory against Athletic Club.
Manchester United's defeat to Brentford was a result of defensive lapses and an inability to handle set pieces, as Kevin Schade and Wissa capitalized on these weaknesses to secure a win for the hosts.
Ruben Amorim expressed confidence that the team is playing better under his leadership despite recent results, but admitted they are not yet capable of competing on multiple fronts, particularly in the Premier League and Champions League.
Amorim's decision to rotate the squad for the Brentford match, keeping the Europa League in mind, was disrupted by an early injury to key defender Matthijs de Ligt, which affected the team's performance.
Mason Mount's early goal gave United a hopeful start, but the team's defensive frailties quickly became apparent as they conceded multiple goals, ultimately falling short despite late efforts from Garnacho and Diallo.
With their Premier League campaign faltering, United's focus has shifted to the Europa League, where they hold a significant advantage following a 3-0 first-leg victory over Athletic Club, making this competition their primary target for success this season.
The defeat left Manchester United languishing in 15th place, highlighting the urgency for improvement and strategic focus on the Europa League as a means to salvage the season and appease their fans.
Amorim's assessment indicates that while there is progress, the team requires more time and preparation to manage the demands of competing in both domestic and European competitions effectively.
Manchester United have continued their poor run of form in the Premier League so far this season as the Red Devils suffered a chaotic 4-3 loss at Brentford, in their 16th league defeat of 2024/25.
With one eye on the midweek UEFA Europa League semifinal second leg against Athletic Club in mind, Ruben Amorim shuffled his starting XI, but an early injury to Matthijs de Ligt scuppered his plans.
Mason Mount fired United ahead in West London, before Luke Shaw's own goal pulled the Bees level, and Kevin Schade put the hosts 2-1 in front.
Schade netted his second of the game, before Wissa made it 4-1 and Alejandro Garnacho and Amad Diallo added late consolations for United - but it was too little too late.
With this defeat, the Red Devils languish in 15th position while Brentford move up to ninth spot in the standings.
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What did Amorim say after the Brentford loss?
Amorim highlighted the spells where United dominated and controlled the contest. However, he admitted his team lacked dominance at set pieces.
"We started well, we controlled quite well, and then throw-ins and set-pieces were a problem for us, but that's normal because we don’t have height in the team," as per quotes from BBC Sport.
"We fought back and we were near – we tried to push but in the end we lost."
The Portuguese coach believes the Red Devils are improving under his leadership, but results have not been in their favour. He also claimed United are not ready to be competitive in the Premier League whilst also playing in the Champions League.
"I have no doubt we are playing better. So we have to take the heat. At this moment, we're losing games in the Premier League.
"We are fighting for the Europa League and Thursday is the most important game for us.
"We are not ready to play in Premier League competitively and be in the Champions League, but we need to win and we need to win this competition to give something to our fans.
"Then we will have time to prepare the team to cope with those two competitions."
United registered a dominant 3-0 win over Athletic Club in the first leg clash but they need to get the job done back in Manchester on May 8.
The Europa League remains their only beacon of hope for this season, which otherwise has been pretty underwhelming.