Amorim admits United played Brentford’s game in defeat

Ruben Amorim criticised his Manchester United side after they fell 3-1 to Brentford, saying his players adapted to the hosts’ style instead of their own.

The loss at the Gtech Community Stadium was United’s third of the league campaign, leaving pressure on Amorim as his side continues to struggle.

Brentford struck early through Igor Thiago, who scored in the eighth minute before doubling his tally with another finish in the 20th minute.

Benjamin Sesko gave United hope when he scored his first goal of the season in the 26th minute to reduce the deficit before half-time.

United later had the chance to level the match in the 76th minute, but Bruno Fernandes missed a penalty after Nathan Collins brought down Bryan Mbeumo.

Mathias Jensen sealed the win for Brentford with a stoppage-time strike in the 93rd minute.

Manager calls for improvement

Speaking after the game, Amorim admitted United lost their focus and played into Brentford’s hands by failing to control key moments.

“The feeling is always the same. We want to win. We did not control the game. We played the game of Brentford. We were really confused, second balls, first balls, set pieces. The crucial moments were against us. Tough to lose again, but we need to think about the next one,” he told TNT Sports.

Amorim pointed out that United had worked on defending long balls and set pieces during training but failed to execute those plans on the pitch.

“The first ball was a long ball after a recovery; we worked on that in the week. We worked on set pieces in the week. We knew that the long balls, one first touch, and they had the opportunity. We worked on that during the week; we have to do better,” he said.

Focus shifts to the next game

The United manager insisted there were brief positives, including fight similar to what was shown against Chelsea, but he admitted the overall performance was lacking.

“In some moments I saw the fight seen against Chelsea. But we can do better. That is the main point,” Amorim added.

He concluded by urging his players to stick to their own identity rather than falling into the rhythm of their opponents.

“Today, we did not play our game. Just some moments, we had control and pushed them to the back. We have to play our game, not the opponent’s game. To lose at that club, it hurts a lot. We have to look at the next one. Everything is important in this club, not just the games,” Amorim said.