It doesn’t matter what they did two weeks ago, this is still modern Manchester United and they are still miserable. A 1-1 draw tells little of the story of the match. Brentford took 31 shots, four of which hit trees. They didn’t score until the 9th minute of stoppage time, at which point they were strangely at a disadvantage, but really by then they could have won just as easily as they did in this game last season.
The problem for Erik ten Hag’s United side is that, while they have had some decent performances and results, there is little that comes close to consistency. It’s unclear what exactly the FA Cup victory over Liverpool was, other than that it was thrilling.
United were second for a long period of time in that game, but they had the spirit and resilience to persevere and win. Whether it will be remembered as a turning point in history or the last flaps of a fading beast is too early to know, at least not before the manager is replaced.
Even before the draw between United and Coventry in the semi-finals, there was talk of Amad Diallo’s goal being Ten Hag’s ‘Mark Robins moment’, although legend has it at least that it was Alex Ferguson’s goal in 1990. The goal that saved his job was not. After a win against Nottingham Forest, Steve Bruce was sent off and they lost at home to Derby County. There were echoes of that at Brentford on Saturday.
The best thing about the first half for United is that at least it wasn’t as bad as the equivalent game last season, when Brentford scored four goals. Even if United didn’t have Cristiano Ronaldo sulking or David De Gea panicking every time he tried to pass out from the back, Brentford would be faster, stronger and more attacking. There were some worrying similarities in what appeared to be the case. It was an inexplicably confident performance, given the nature of that victory over Liverpool, the sense that it was achieved through will more than anything else.
Against a more confident or more fortunate Brentford this could have been a defeat of similar magnitude. Opportunities came many times, but for some reason I just couldn’t make the decision. Andre Onana made a great double save from Yehor Yarmoljuk and Kean Lewis-Potter, but it was mostly a matter of shots going wide or hitting the goal frame.
Ivan Toney first hit the post for a one-on-one, highlighting United’s structural problems. As Brentford broke, there was a surprising absence of United at the back of United’s midfield, with Raphael Varane being pulled out of the defensive line to create space, which Yoan Ouisza tapped into with a deft flick. Matthias Jorgensen then hit a header over the bar.
Wissa continued their policy against Chelsea of only looking to score through spectacular and engaging games.
At the time he spoke of his pleasure in “doing something beautiful for people who love football”, which is a great principle, but perhaps the odd scrape or tap-in for those who love Brentford is just as well. It will be considered beautiful. The Democratic Republic of Congo national team’s game revolves primarily around flying volleys and elaborate dives. There are few players who love grass so openly. If he had made one more splash, writhing between those luscious blades when the ball fell to him in the 59th minute, Wissa might have taken the lead. Just then, his reckless and unremarkable standing volley hit the outside of the post.
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Brian Mbuemo became the fourth Brentford player to cause trouble for the woodwork by hitting a shot that hit the bar. And the more chances Brentford miss, the greater the risk that United will somehow end up in trouble. Early in the second half, Rasmus Hojlund pulled off a fine save from Mark Frecken, and Anthony sent a speculative shot wide of the target, before Mason Mount latched onto Casemiro’s pass six minutes into stoppage time to score his first goal for United. I decided.
The injustice seemed outrageous, but Christopher Ajer’s goal two minutes later from Toney’s cut-back restored at least some fairness to the scoreline. However, United were extremely lucky to escape with a draw.
