Manchester United’s latest Premier League outing resembled more slapstick than strategy. Within 20 minutes, they were 2–0 down to a Brentford side who did little more than launch balls into the channels and wait for Manchester United’s defence to trip over itself. Thiago struck twice, first punishing Harry Maguire’s mistimed offside gamble and then capitalising on Matthijs de Ligt’s misjudged flight path.
It wasn’t pretty. It wasn’t clever. It wasn’t even complicated. , Amorim’s men failed to deal with the most basic of balls, exposing a fragility that has haunted Manchester United since last season. Altay Bayindir did his best, producing two good stops, but when your goalkeeper is busy patching holes wider than Old Trafford’s leaking roof, something is badly wrong.
Amorim’s Back-to-Back Blues
Remember the optimism after Manchester United’s win over Chelsea? Yeah, that didn’t last long. Amorim remains winless in consecutive Premier League matches since arriving last November, boasting a return of just 34 points from 33 games (Opta). To put that in perspective, that’s relegation form with a Champions League-sized budget.
Sesko’s scrappy first Manchester United goal at least offered a flicker of hope. But beyond that, the performance was flat. Manchester United enjoyed possession but had the creativity of a broken calculator, probing without incision. For a coach once praised for high-press intensity and rapid transitions at Sporting, Amorim’s Manchester United look more like a side caught between ideas — and opponents like Brentford are only too happy to exploit the confusion.
Bruno and the Penalty Problem
And then came the subplot that every United fan feared: Bruno Fernandes from 12 yards. The Portuguese playmaker has now missed his second spot-kick in a matter of weeks, this time denied by Caoimhin Kelleher after a lengthy VAR delay over Nathan Collins’ tug on Bryan Mbeumo.
Was Fernandes rattled by the four-minute review? Possibly. Should a top-level penalty taker be unfazed by such interruptions? Definitely. What Manchester United now face is a bigger debate: does Bruno keep the job, or is it time to hand duties to someone else — perhaps Sesko, who at least found the net, even if it took three swings? With Amorim under pressure, it’s a decision he can ill afford to fudge.
Manchester United The Big-Money Front Three Debut
Finally, something positive. Amorim started his £200m front line of Sesko, Cunha and Mbeumo together for the first time, and while the chemistry was more “first rehearsal” than “headline act,” there were encouraging signs. Sesko broke his duck, Cunha’s movement created space, and Mbeumo’s physicality unsettled Brentford’s back line.
But moments were fleeting. Beyond the goal and penalty incident, Manchester United’s attack was largely starved of rhythm. As Oliver Kay noted, the talent is there but cohesion will take time. The problem? In the Premier League, time is a currency managers like Amorim rarely get to spend.
What Next for Amorim?
Manchester United face Sunderland next at Old Trafford, and on paper, it looks like the perfect opportunity to stop the rot. But so did Brentford away, and so did Fulham earlier this month. Amorim is fighting on multiple fronts: a leaky defence, a blunt attack, and a captain who might need penalty duties taken off his hands.
Should the Portuguese coach fail to string together back-to-back league wins soon, questions over his suitability will only grow louder. For now, fans cling to small positives — Sesko’s goal, Bayindir’s reflexes, the fact it wasn’t another 4-0 like 2022. But if this is the “new project,” Manchester United’s supporters are entitled to ask: when does it actually start?
