At the press conference ahead of his side’s game at Brentford FC, Manchester United’s new manager Erik ten Hag said he knew what the club was expecting: “Everyone expects us to win every game.” And: “Manchester United stands for trophies.” However, two games on Saturday made it frighteningly clear how far the English record champions are currently from their own claims and even more from a 21st Premier League title.
In addition to their own, extremely embarrassing performance in west London (more on that later), there was also that of city rivals Manchester City. Pep Guardiola’s team won their home game against newly promoted Bournemouth 4-0 (3-0). Kevin De Bruyne stood out from the world-class squad as the others played their part in a second win of the season that was never in jeopardy.
Erling Haaland, for example, who did not score a goal this time after scoring twice on the first matchday, prepared Ilkay Gündogan’s 1-0 lead well (19th). Until then, Bournemouth had tried not to allow a gap to their own penalty area. When they then at least occasionally presented themselves a little more offensive, City promptly punished them. First De Bruyne (31st) and then Phil Foden (37th) completed two perfect counterattacks. Guest defender Jefferson Lerma scored the final score, scoring his own goal in the 79th minute.
Cristiano Ronaldo was back in the starting XI after being substituted on Matchday 1
Around 30 minutes after the final whistle in Manchester, Manchester United’s second game of the season began in Brentford, west London. Cristiano Ronaldo was also in the starting XI, coming on as a substitute in last Sunday’s deserved 2-1 defeat by Brighton. It’s no secret that the Portuguese would like to change, nor that coach ten Hag would actually like a new striker. Among other things, Sasa Kalajdzic from VfB Stuttgart is associated with United.
Should the transfer come about, the Austrian would – as of Saturday evening – move to the bottom of the Premier League table. As well as Brentford FC did, with a compact formation and well-prepared pressing campaigns, the complete insecurity of the United players was evident.
Ball stolen, goal made: Brentford’s Mathias Jensen (left) scored to make it 2-0 after less than 20 minutes.
(Photo: Ian Kingston/AFP)
Apparently, ten Hag’s idea was to get a flat build-up game through new signing Christian Eriksen, last season still a player for today’s opponents. The Danish midfielder was always the target, including in the 18th minute when keeper David de Gea found Eriksen in his own penalty area, even though Mathias Jensen was practically on his feet. Consequently, the 26-year-old won the ball and scored to make it 2-0. De Gea was not uninvolved in the first goal, too, when he slipped a seemingly harmless long-range shot from Josh Dasilva under his body (10′). This was preceded by a listless-looking Ronaldo losing the ball in his own half.
Because everything really went wrong for Manchester United that evening, they were also unlucky with a referee’s decision, because the corner kick that led to Ben Mee’s 3-0 in the 30th minute would not have existed due to a handball in the making allowed to. But then they had to blame themselves for the passive defense of the standard.
With United having given up the plan to play flat, Mathias Jensen scooped the ball up in his own penalty area shortly after, slapped it to attacker Ivan Toney and then watched as he hung up for goalscorer Bryan Mbeumo – Brentford led after 35 minutes with 4:0. The Manchester fans who had traveled with them looked just as stunned as coach ten Hag, but still managed to present their banner with the inscription “Glazers Out”. In the eyes of many supporters, the American owner family is the source of all evil around their club.
Confused look: Manchester United’s new coach Erik ten Hag and his team are at least temporarily at the bottom of the Premier League table.
(Photo: David Klein/Reuters)
Speaking of Manchester United after the game, which, in retrospect, also lacks a goalless and mostly boring second half, Brentford’s best man Mathias Jensen said: “They couldn’t handle our pressure, our second balls, our intensity. It was obvious how difficult they were did themselves.” A better summary of the game and the situation of Manchester United is hardly possible.
Just for comparison: Bournemouth coach Scott Parker later described Manchester City as an “impressive force” that seems to find a solution for everything.