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United’s kid Messi scores 7th goal in 6 appearances, but City run rampant in the second half to end U18s’ winning run

David Tully
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United’s kid Messi scores 7th goal in 6 appearances, but City run rampant in the second half to end U18s’ winning run

Manchester United U18s hosted Manchester City at Carrington on Saturday morning.

The Manchester derby has often been regarded as the title decider with the two Manchester clubs dominating the U18s Premier League North in recent years.

Both sides came into the match with 100% win records.

First half

JJ Gabriel was the first to threaten the goal for either side when he shifted onto his left to strike from 20 yards out which was pushed around the post for a corner.

A minute later, United’s 14-year-old star opened the scoring after an exceptional bit of play.

Gabriel twisted inside and out to create space away from Leke Drake and placed the ball into the bottom right corner with precision.

An unfortunate injury saw United lose their physical presence at the back in Godwill Kukonki, who was replaced by Jayden Ngwashi before the half-hour mark.

In the 31st minute, James Bailey was fouled after putting in a couple of bone-crunching tackles of his own.

The free-kick was in Jim Thwaites territory, and he lived up to his reputation with a sensationally whipped shot into the top left corner, an effort that would beat even the best senior goalkeepers.

United’s Fred Heath wasn’t tested until late in the half, when Kaden Braithwaite took his chance from long range but Heath dealt with it comfortably to keep the score 2-0 going into the break.

Second half

A bust-up early in the second half sparked a fire in the visitors, who physically stood taller than the young United group which contained two U15 players.

Miscommunication at the back gifted City a goal back in the 48th minute. Tyrone Samba’s cross to the back post was left for Heath who got caught flat footed as the ball crept inside the post.

A series of fouls on United players took the thrust out of United’s play as City began to dominate but the blue side of Manchester were lucky to have 11 players on the pitch.

A very late lunge on Heath from Teddie Lamb, who was already on a yellow card, should have warranted a second but the referee let it go.

City then levelled the scoring at 2-2 from a short corner which Heath could only push back into danger for Floyd Samba to finish.

The match was only going one way at this point as City took the lead just a minute later through a long range effort from Harrison Miles.

It went from bad to worse soon after as Rafe McCormack’s back pass to Heath was short, leading to the United keeper to charge out and take down the City forward to earn a straight red card.

Floyd Samba added his second of the match from the resulting free kick to seal a 2-4 victory for Manchester City.

A disappointing day for United, as Darren Fletcher’s side dropped points for the first time this season. Not only that but they also conceded a goal for the first time this campaign.

United will look to bounce back next week with a trip to Middlesbrough in the Premier League Cup coming up next.

Match facts

United: Heath, Helafu, Mills, Kukonki (Ngwashi 29), McCormack, Thwaites, Ibragimov (c), Nkoto (Watson 83), Bailey (Shah 76), Lusale, Gabriel (Brown 76).

Sub not used: McEvoy.

Goals: Gabriel 15, Thwaites 32 | T Samba 48, F Samba 67, 84, Miles 69

Feature image James Fearn via Getty Images

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A football obsessed Canadian who moved to England to enjoy the beautiful game. Colm has been keen follower of Manchester United’s famed academy since seeing a fresh faced Adnan Januzaj for the club’s u18s and has been writing about football with a focus on youth development for over 10 years.

Every word from Ruben’s press conference

David Tully
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Every word from Ruben’s press conference

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Saturday 27 September 2025 16:24

Ruben Amorim wants his players to show “more personality” to control matches following the 3-1 defeat at Brentford.

The Reds couldn’t recover despite a spirited response to going two goals down after 20 minutes, with Igor Thiago at the double.

Benjamin Sesko’s first United goal set-up a grandstand second half, the Slovenian striker scoring from close-range to get off the mark following his summer arrival from RB Leipzig.

Unfortunately, the points were claimed by the hosts when the match swung in the Bees’ favour. First, Bruno Fernandes’ penalty was kept out by CaoimhIn Kelleher before Mathias Jensen wrapped things up for Brentford.

Amorim met with assembled media inside the Gtech Community Stadium following the final whistle.

Keep scrolling to read, and watch, everything he said, with the spot-kick incident a key topic…

Ruben’s post-Brentford press conference Video

Ruben’s post-Brentford press conference

Press conference | Ruben Amorim discusses the potential red card for Nathan Collins and explains how we can improve…

You spoke about the players’ understanding the need for momentum, yet your team conceded two goals in the first 20 minutes. What causes that – people are again saying it’s the system...
“It is always the same, when we win it’s not the system, when you lose it’s the system. I think it’s more that we play this game like Brentford wants to play this game. With long balls, we kick the balls, second balls, and we never settle down in our game. We never play our game. We never pushed the opponent, every time they recovered the ball. We suffered two goals like that. I think the penalty could change things, but my overall view of the game is that we never settled down, we didn’t have control of the game.”

You are now 30-odd Premier League games in. It feels quite basic the things that are not happening?
“I know, guys. We talk about this every time our team loses. We need to work on a lot of things. Again, today, my biggest concern is that we didn’t settle into the game. We missed a lot of crosses. We suffered goals in transition that we knew during the week, we worked on that. So those are the things that we need to improve.”

So, how does it change? How do you get some consistency from this squad?
“You work on everything – work on everything. The frustration is that the goals today, we worked on that during the week. That is frustrating. We can do better with the ball. We can have more control. We can understand that sometimes when the decisions are not in our favour, the momentum is not in your favour, we can control the ball – we can settle down the game. That is something that I know this team can do, but when things are against us – the penalty, the foul before the first goal – all these things are against us, we need to have more personality to control the game.”

I’m sure you’re not suggesting the referee’s decision contributed to the final result, but were you disappointed that Collins wasn’t sent off?
“No, I’m just trying to explain that sometimes the decisions are not in your favour – that can happen. We have the ability and the capacity to control the game, to calm down the game. We didn’t do that today. You guys have the ability to make your decision with your opinion of the decision. The referee told me that Bryan [Mbeumo] was not in control of the ball. I think he was not in control of the ball because he was pulled. So that was the decision. Again, I want – especially in these kind of moments – not to focus on the referee. What we should have done this afternoon is play better, and we need to play better.”

Are you still confident that you can turn this around?
“It’s like ups and downs. When you win, you feel that everything, the momentum is there. When you lose, you go back to the same place and you fight again for one win that can help you to create the momentum. Guys, I’m always doing my job. If I win, I’m in a different state of mind. That is normal. I’m always confident because I know what to do.”

You’ve always taken a lot of responsibility on your own shoulders and not wanted to blame the players, but there were an awful lot of individual mistakes today. Do you feel the players aren’t taking responsibility themselves?
“That is my job, and I’m not here just to protect the players. I’m trying to do what is best for the club and the team. I don’t see a point, because I see the guys training. I feel that sometimes in the games when things are really hard, they are not the same, but that is the pressure of the club. I’m just thinking here what is the best to win the next game. I’m not trying to protect the players, or myself. I’m just trying to win the next game, and create the momentum. That’s it. I am trying to be really objective in my analysis to the game. Today, we played the game of Brentford – not our game, and when you play the opponent’s game, it’s harder to win.”

Can you see a clear way forward now? Can you take this club forward? Right now, it feels like it’s one step forward and one step back…
“Guys, I cannot tell you more than what I say every time when I lose the game. Sometimes we see a team that performs really well and you see improvements, and then sometimes you don’t see that improvement that gives you the confidence to say that Manchester United is going to get back. So, it’s always the same conversation. It depends on the next game. So let’s try to win the next game and to improve certain things. But I think it’s clear that we can create more chances. Sometimes we reach the final third more and sometimes we lack that little bit of quality in the final third. There are things we need to improve on.”

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    Amorim: We didn’t play our game

    Ruben Amorim feels United paid the price for never settling down the game against Brentford…

  • Cunha: We need to do more Video

    Cunha: We need to do more

    Matheus Cunha says United need to have “big character” and focus on improvement after a tough defeat at Brentford…

Saturday 27 September 2025 16:24

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3 tackles, 84% passing, 4/7 ground duels: battling star staked his claim to key United role despite dire result v Brentford

Michel Sakr
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3 tackles, 84% passing, 4/7 ground duels: battling star staked his claim to key United role despite dire result v Brentford

Manchester United returned to losing ways today in a dispiriting defeat away to Brentford.

The Bees ran out 3-1 winners as the Red Devils toiled, and while things may have gone differently had Bruno Fernandes converted his penalty with the score at 2-1, it was another disappointing day for Ruben Amorim and his team.

Ugarte given a start

With Casemiro suspended following the red card he picked up against Chelsea last week, there was a position up for grabs alongside Fernandes in the middle of the park.

Manuel Ugarte got the nod over Kobbie Mainoo, and despite an unconvincing start to the season turned in a decent performance at the heart of a desperately poor side.

Nobody on the pitch made more tackles than the Uruguayan, who wrestled the ball back for his team three times. He also gave away one foul.

He was typically fierce in the duel, winning four of the seven ground duels he contested and two of his three aerial battles.

Small improvements

United were deeply unimpressive but still managed to take 14 shots and fashion four big chances.

Ugarte did not contribute to any of these attacking stats, instead playing the more defensive role expected of him, but did have a better game than usual on the ball.

The 24-year-old kept things moving well and found his man with 27 of his 32 attempted passes to record a passing accuracy of 84%.

He was wide of the mark with his two attempted long passes, however, and he lost possession seven times during his 66 minutes on the pitch.

Ugarte is never going to be able to compete with the likes of Mainoo in terms of providing midfield creativity, but he was at least less error-prone in possession today.

Casemiro was only suspended for one match so will be available to Amorim for next weekend’s trip to Sunderland.

Whether Ugarte did enough to keep his place remains to seen, but regardless it was a better performance from the midfielder than we have seen in recent weeks and he will hope to kick on from it.

Stats taken from sofascore.

Featured image Richard Pelham via Getty Images

Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social

Joe has spent more than half his life writing about football and all of it following United. As a child he told a doctor his name was ‘Paul Scholes’, but could never pick a pass like him no matter how much he tried.

“That is frustrating”: Amorim lashes out at his players for Brentford blunders that were rehearsed in training

Michel Sakr
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“That is frustrating”: Amorim lashes out at his players for Brentford blunders that were rehearsed in training

Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim has hit out at his players for making a “frustrating” mistake against Brentford, which was worked on during the week.

Brentford sink United

United fell to a 3-1 defeat at the Gtech Community Stadium in what was their third loss of the 2025/26 Premier League season.

The Red Devils found themselves 2-0 down inside 20 minutes courtesy of an Igor Thiago brace.

Benjamin Sesko pulled one back for United in the 26th minute, offering some hope of a comeback. Bruno Fernandes had a chance to make it 2-2 from the penalty spot but was denied by Caoimhin Kelleher, before Mathias Jensen sealed the victory for the hosts in added time.

Following the match, a dejected Amorim singled out his players for failing to follow the plan and making the same mistakes rehearsed during the week.

Amorim gives verdict on the game

The Portuguese coach told reporters, “It’s always the same. When you win it’s not the system. When you lose it’s the system. I understand that. We played this game like Brentford wanted to play this game – with long balls, we kick the ball, second balls and we never settled down our game.”

“We never played our game, we never pushed the opponent and then we knew every time they recovered the ball, they will make a run and they will fight for the ball. We suffered two goals like that.”

“We managed to score one goal and then in the second half, I think the penalty could have changed things but overall view of the game: we never settled down. Long possessions, long control of the game, we were never there. So we lost.”

Asked why the players don’t seem to be grasping the basics after more than 30 Premier League games in charge, Amorim answered, “I know guys. We talk about this every time our team loses. We work on a lot of things. And again today, my biggest concern is that we didn’t settle in the game. In the final third, we missed a lot of crosses. We suffered goals in transition that we knew during the week and we worked on that. Those are the things that we need to improve.”

On how he can get his players to be consistent, “Work on everything. The frustration is that every goal…the goals we conceded today, we worked on that during the week and that is frustrating.”

“We can do better with the ball. We can have more control. We can understand that sometimes when the decisions are not in your favour, when the momentum is not in your favour, we can control the ball. We can settle the game down and that is something I know this team can do.

“But when things like the penalty, the foul are against us, we need to have more personality to calm the game down and then to play better.”

Regarding Nathan Collins’ last-man challenge on Mbeumo, Amorim revealed that the referee explained he didn’t issue a red card because Mbeumo was “not in control of the ball.”

Asked whether he still feels confident that he can turn things around, Amorim remarked, “It’s ups and downs. When you win, you feel that everything, the momentum is here. When you lose you go back to the same place. You fight for one win that can help you create momentum.”

“So, guys, I’m always doing my job. If I win I’m in a different state of mind. That is normal but I’m always confident because I know what to do.”

When asked if the players should share responsibility for the club’s struggles, Amorim stressed that it is his role to take the blame and focus on what’s best for the team.

Featured image Richard Pelham via Getty Images

Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social

Derick Kinoti is a football writer at The Peoples Person who has covered Manchester United and the game extensively for many years. He is a keen analyst with expertise in SEO and journalism standards. Derick is convinced Wayne Rooney is the true GOAT and won’t hear otherwise!

United shirt branded “heaviest in world football” as pundit names perfect Amorim replacement, fans would be distraught

Michel Sakr
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United shirt branded “heaviest in world football” as pundit names perfect Amorim replacement, fans would be distraught

Manchester United’s bleak start to the season continued with defeat at Brentford today.

The 3-1 loss made it three defeats in the first six Premier League matches for Ruben Amorim’s side, with the manager coming under intense pressure once again.

The weight of the shirt

Speaking on TNT Sports after the match, pundit Joe Cole stated that the issues at Old Trafford run deep, and the weight of expectation makes it difficult to succeed.

He said: “To pull a Manchester United shirt on now, it’s the heaviest shirt in world football because of how poor it’s been and because of the history of the club, the expectations of the club.”

He identified that the “culture” at the club is a major problem, and noted that a painful reality of players succeeding elsewhere just feeds the narrative: “what doesn’t help is every player that leaves Man United going and hitting the ground running wherever they go, that tells me there’s something in the harmony of the whole club.”

Amorim to blame

For Cole, “the manager’s job first and foremost is to bring harmony and rejuvenate the culture,” and he was emphatic that Amorim is not delivering on that duty.

He noted that United are “a million miles away” from their “beautiful past” and that right now the mission should just be steadying the ship, but questioned whether the Portuguese is the man for the job.

“Whoever comes in has to find a way to galvanise first of all the players, because we know there’s some good players here, [and] the club, the board, the owner, the fans.”

The former Chelsea and Liverpool man also took a slight dig at United supporters, stating that they “need to lower their expectations” as they need “a different direction” at the club.

When asked if that different direction meant a change of manager, Cole said: “Yes, and I don’t like saying that. I think for him [Amorim] as well, he was the bright young spark, people were talking about him like he was the messiah coming in to Manchester United and he was going to sort everything out.

“That’s how high his stock was when he left Lisbon, so he’s clearly a good manager as well. But there’s the mix and the blend of the whole situation, I think it needs a culture change.”

Southgate would be “perfect”

As more and more fans start to lose faith in Amorim the obvious question is who would take over from him in the United hot seat should he be sacked.

Cole shared his thoughts on who United should have picked to replace Erik ten Hag and suggested he is still a good pick now – it’s not a view likely to sit well with many supporters.

“I thought Gareth Southgate was the perfect man for the job,” he said, adding that the former England manager would have been good “in terms of building culture, understanding the club, understanding the league, understanding the players, working with Jim Ratcliffe and people like that.”

Ultimately they went with Amorim and “it doesn’t look like it’s working.”

Featured image Justin Setterfield via Getty Images

Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social

Joe has spent more than half his life writing about football and all of it following United. As a child he told a doctor his name was ‘Paul Scholes’, but could never pick a pass like him no matter how much he tried.

“We need to think about…”: Under-fire Amorim fires response as pressure mounts following humiliating loss to Brentford

Michel Sakr
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0
“We need to think about…”: Under-fire Amorim fires response as pressure mounts following humiliating loss to Brentford

Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim has addressed questions over his job security following yet another defeat, this time against Brentford.

United suffer loss vs. Brentford

United picked up their third loss of the 2025/26 Premier League season as they fell to a 3-1 defeat to Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium.

The visitors found themselves trailing by two goals inside 20 minutes courtesy of Igor Thiago’s brace. The Brentford forward took full advantage of some pitiful defending from United to give his side a commanding lead.

Benjamin Sesko pulled one back for United with a maiden goal for the club, giving the team hopes of mounting a comeback.

Bruno Fernandes had an opportunity to draw the Red Devils level from the penalty spot but his effort was saved by Caoimhin Kelleher. Mathias Jensen put the game well out of United’s reach with a late strike.

Amorim’s record now stands at nine wins, three draws, and 17 defeats from 33 league outings, translating to a modest 27.2% win rate.

After the final whistle, he spoke to the media and was inevitably asked about the mounting pressure on his shoulders.

Amorim responds to uncertainty surrounding his future

Amorim told TNT Sports about the game [as quoted by BBC], “Of course we want to win. We didn’t control the game.”

“We played the game of Brentford. First balls, second balls, set pieces. All the crucial moments were against us. Tough to lose again but we need to think about the next one.”

“The first goal was a long ball. We worked on that in the week, and on set pieces. We knew the long balls (were coming) and one touch they had the opportunity. We need to do better.”

He added, “We didn’t play our game. We only had control for some moments. But it was more or less all the same. We need to play our games, not the opponents, but they were stronger on that.”

Asked about the pressure on him after another defeat, Amorim answered, “It is always the same to lose at this club, it hurts a lot.”

“We need to think about the next one.”

United are back in action next Saturday when they host Sunderland at Old Trafford.

Featured image Richard Pelham via Getty Images

Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social

Derick Kinoti is a football writer at The Peoples Person who has covered Manchester United and the game extensively for many years. He is a keen analyst with expertise in SEO and journalism standards. Derick is convinced Wayne Rooney is the true GOAT and won’t hear otherwise!

6 shots, 1 key pass, 1 goal: new United signing found his attacking flair despite 3-1 loss to Brentford

Michel Sakr
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0
6 shots, 1 key pass, 1 goal: new United signing found his attacking flair despite 3-1 loss to Brentford

Manchester United slumped to a 3-1 loss to Brentford on Saturday afternoon, with memories of the previous week’s win over Chelsea rapidly disintegrating.

It was a tough afternoon for Man United, who got the game off to a bright start only to concede twice in quick succession.

While the defence managed to tighten up in the second half, United were unable to find another goal in order to rescue a point.

Despite the match being filled with negatives, one player who produced a hopeful display was striker Benjamin Sesko.

Making his mark

Undoubtedly United’s best player on the day, Sesko was relentless in front of goal, desperately fighting to get his name on the scoresheet.

The striker took six shots, four of which were on target.

Although he missed two big chances, he more than made up for it in the 26th minute when he found the back of the net with a powerful header. Sesko did well to position himself to pounce on a rebound that came from a save by the Brentford keeper.

Sesko’s aerial game was decent. He won three of six duels, although he lost his only ground duel of the match.

However, there were some areas where Sesko will surely look to improve.

Progress needed

With 26 touches throughout the match, only nine of Sesko’s 16 passes found their mark (56% accuracy).

Still, the blame cannot be put squarely on the striker, given that his teammates were often marked and did not do enough to free themselves and go into space.

Interestingly, he performed two clearances, helping to support his defence as well.

Ultimately, it was a positive performance by Sesko, who showed grit and determination up front to score his first United goal.

The club will be hoping that he can replicate this performance in games to come.

Featured image Richard Pelham via Getty Images

Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social

A faithful Manchester United supporter, Mathew has worked as a football writer and analyst for SB Nation, FanSided, and now The Peoples Person. Mathew’s heroes include David Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Sir Alex Ferguson, all of whom played their part in creating some special childhood memories.

Cunha: Improve, improve, improve – that’s the word

Michel Sakr
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Cunha: Improve, improve, improve – that’s the word

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Matheus Cunha

Cunha: Improve, improve, improve – that’s the word

Saturday 27 September 2025 15:55

Matheus Cunha found it difficult to hide his frustration after Manchester United’s 3-1 defeat at Brentford.

Cunha was back in the starting XI for the match at the Gtech Community Stadium, where the Reds fell two down in the opening 20 minutes, following a brace by compatriot Igor Thiago.

Benjamin Sesko halved the deficit and Bruno Fernandes missed the opportunity to equalise from the spot, before Mathias Jensen sealed the win for the Bees in stoppage time.

There were calls in some quarters for Brentford captain Nathan Collins to be sent off, after he pulled back Bryan Mbeumo for the penalty, but Cunha felt that the Reds did not do enough over the course of the 90 minutes.

Cunha: We need to do more Video

Cunha: We need to do more

Matheus Cunha says United need to have “big character” and focus on improvement after a tough defeat at Brentford…

“It’s very frustrating to come here and not win,” he said. “Every game in the Premier League is, of course, important, but we need to do more.

“We need to do more – that’s the key, I think.”

The result leaves United in the lower reaches of the table and still looking for back-to-back wins, after six games.

Next up is a home outing against Sunderland prior to the international break as another big week of work on the training pitches awaits.

“Of course, we need to go there [Carrington] and to do everything we can,” Cunha added.

“Improve, improve, improve – this is the word, I think. We need to use it, we need to be focused and to have big character right now.

“It’s like I say, how important it is to fight for the shirt and winning the games.”

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Saturday 27 September 2025 15:55

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Amorim rues lack of control

Michel Sakr
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Amorim rues lack of control

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Saturday 27 September 2025 15:52

Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim said we “didn’t play our game” during Saturday’s Premier League defeat to Brentford.

The Bees established an early lead through two Igor Thiago strikes, and while Benjamin Sesko clawed one back with his first goal for the Reds, it wasn’t enough to kickstart a comeback.

Bruno Fernandes saw his penalty saved on the other side of the break – with more than a few complaints about the length of time he was required to wait, while Brentford made substitutions and VAR checked a potential Nathan Collins red card – and Mathias Jensen sealed the three points for the hosts with a powerful late strike.

Keep scrolling to read what Amorim said after the match in interviews with TNT Sports and MUTV…

Amorim: We didn’t play our game Video

Amorim: We didn’t play our game

Ruben Amorim feels United paid the price for never settling down the game against Brentford…

MOMENTS AGAINST US

“I think we played the game they wanted us to play, the opponents – really confused: first balls, second balls. If we play the game of the opponent, it’s harder for us. We never settled the game down. We suffered two goals where we knew they are really strong on that, with the long balls. Then we tried to get back in the game. We miss a penalty, and all these moments are a little bit against us. That could change the game, but in the end, we need to – and we should do – better.”

LACKING CONTROL

“We need to have those moments for us. In the last game we had that, especially in the beginning of the game. Today, my biggest concern is the way we didn’t settle down the game, to control the game, to play our game. We should do that more in the game.”

EVERY GAME IS CRUCIAL

“Everything is important in this club. So, it’s not just the games at home or whatever. We need to win every game, and we are not doing that.”

FOCUS IN TRAINING

“Everything [is the focus]. We are working on everything. We spend all week training one against one, [for] when they kick the ball [long], and we suffer in the same way, so we need to do that again and to be better in the next match.”

LOOKING AHEAD

“[Defeat] always [feels] the same. To lose with this kind of club, it hurts a lot, and we need to think about the next one.”

MESSAGE TO THE FANS

“The same thing. When we lose, we say sorry to them, but they don’t want to hear nothing. In this moment, they want to see, so our job is to fight again, to win the next one.”

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    Cunha: We need to do more

    Matheus Cunha says United need to have “big character” and focus on improvement after a tough defeat at Brentford…

Saturday 27 September 2025 15:52

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0 tackles, 0 interceptions, 0 ground duels won: Experienced United star crumbled in humbling 3-1 loss vs Brentford

Michel Sakr
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0
0 tackles, 0 interceptions, 0 ground duels won: Experienced United star crumbled in humbling 3-1 loss vs Brentford

Manchester United defender Harry Maguire faltered as his side fell to a 3-1 loss at the hands of Brentford.

United humiliated by Brentford

United headed into the contest at the Gtech Community Stadium with confidence, having beaten Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea last weekend.

Ruben Amorim was looking for his first back-to-back wins as United but his efforts suffered a significant blow as the Red Devils found themselves 2-0 down inside 20 minutes.

For the opener, Maguire’s failed offside gamble left Igor Thiago through on goal, and the forward made no mistake in firing past Altay Bayindir.

Thiago added a second later on, capitalising on another moment of pitiful defending from the visitors. Benjamin Sesko pulled one back for United just before the half-hour mark, offering United some hope of mounting a comeback.

The 20-time English champions were handed a chance to draw level when Bryan Mbeumo won a penalty kick, but Bruno Fernandes’ spot-kick was saved by Caoimhin Kelleher. Mathias Jensen made it 3-1 for Brentford in added time to completely sink Amorim and his players.

A number of United players didn’t rise to the occasion, including Maguire, who was taken off after 66 minutes of action.

Maguire’s performance

Beyond his roles in the first two goals, Maguire failed to make even one tackle or interception. However, he contributed five clearances.

The England international contested just one ground duel, which he failed to win. He vied for six challenges in the air and came out on top four times.

Maguire lost the ball seven times.

He registered 39 touches and managed to find his teammates with 25 of the 31 passes he attempted (81% individual pass accuracy).

Maguire connected with just one of the five long balls he pinged.

(Stats obtained from Sofascore)

United are back in action next Saturday when they host newly-promoted Sunderland at Old Trafford.

Featured image Justin Setterfield via Getty Images

Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social

Derick Kinoti is a football writer at The Peoples Person who has covered Manchester United and the game extensively for many years. He is a keen analyst with expertise in SEO and journalism standards. Derick is convinced Wayne Rooney is the true GOAT and won’t hear otherwise!

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