As a result of Bruno Fernandes’ penalty miss, struggling Manchester United fell to 3-1 defeat at Brentford on Saturday, adding pressure on drained boss Ruben Amorim.
Igor Thiago scored twice in Amorim’s side’s opening 20 minutes to punish shoddy defending, paying the price for yet another error-strewn display.
Before half-time, United’s first goal, scored by Benjamin Sesko, cut the deficit.
However, when Caoimhin Kelleher saved his tame penalty late in the second half before Mathias Jensen scored the winning goal in stoppage time, United captain Fernandes wasted a golden opportunity to save the draw.
Amorim, who had been appointed United boss, hoped to finally win more league games.
He left fearing the sack, instead, after his most recent detour since moving from Sporting Lisbon to replace the fired Erik ten Hag in November.
United are currently 13th in the Premier League, having won just twice of their six games this season.
Amorim admitted he had considered quitting and frequently detested his players following his humiliating League Cup defeat in August at fourth-tier Grimsby.
After suffering a 3-0 defeat at Manchester City, the 40-year-old was once again under fire, before last weekend’s 2-1 victory over Chelsea gave him some breathing room.
Under the inexperienced manager Keith Andrews, Amorim will face fresh doubts about his ability to revive United after losing to a Brentford team they had already defeated three times in their first five games.
At a recent meeting at the training facility of the club, United co-owner Jim Ratcliffe reportedly gave Amorim his backing.
After this outcome, Ratcliffe’s support is likely to decline, leaving Amorim in desperate need of a win over Sunderland at Old Trafford next weekend before a challenging trip to Liverpool’s champions.
For the first time since the trio’s summer moves, Matheus Cunha started in the United team along with Benjamin Sesko and former Brentford forward Bryan Mbeumo.
However, United’s recent trips to Brentford, including a 4-3 loss in May and a 4-0 loss, have been painful experiences.
United In Disarray
Their most recent trip to west London was no exception, with Thiago striking just eight minutes later quickly exposing United’s flaws.
With Harry Maguire’s offside appeal thrown in the wind, Jordan Henderson drilled a skillful pass past Altay Bayindir from just inside the penalty area.
In the 20th minute, Brentford struck once more with Thiago’s flick on to Kevin Schade, who burst into the area to fire a close-range shot that Bayindir could only palm to Thiago.
Thiago, who was traded from Club Brugge in place of Bryan Mbeumo, already has five goals for the Bees, compared to just two this year.
Sesko had a bad start following his relocation from Leipzig, just like Mbeumo.
READ MORE: Man Utd Boss Amorim Accepts Uncertainty Ahead Of Brentford Clash | News & Analysis
In the 26th minute, the 22-year-old Slovenian finally showed some promise.
Under the pressure of Patrick Dorgu, Kelleher resisted converting the rebound after his first two attempts were saved.
However, United almost lost out on a second time because Kevin Schade teed up Dango Ouattara for a low shot that Bayindir saved at the end of the match.
When Nathan Collins’ tug on Mbeumo gave away a penalty in the 75th minute, Amorim was given a lifeline.
However, Fernandes chose a weak spot-kick that Kelleher had saved after a protracted delay for a VAR check and numerous substitutions.
United was hit on the counter as the final seconds drew nearer.
As Amorim’s misery mounted, Jensen hurried away unchallenged and cut inside for a vicious strike that fizzed into the net’s roof.
Source: Channels TV
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