Amorim Under Pressure as Man United Fall 3-1 to Brentford

Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has admitted he cannot shield himself or his players from growing criticism after their 3-1 defeat to Brentford on Saturday.

The loss, United’s third in six Premier League matches this season, has left Amorim facing intense scrutiny over his future.

United’s defensive frailties were exposed early, with Igor Thiago scoring twice in the first half. New signing Benjamin Sesko pulled one back before the break, but captain Bruno Fernandes saw his second-half penalty saved by Caoimhin Kelleher. Mathias Jensen then sealed Brentford’s win deep into stoppage time.

Brentford supporters taunted Amorim with chants of “you’re getting sacked in the morning” as pressure mounted on the Portuguese coach, who has yet to secure back-to-back league victories since taking charge in November.

“Ups and downs, when you win you feel the momentum is here. When you lose you go back to the same place and fight for the one win that can help you to create the momentum,” Amorim told reporters.

“I am always doing my job. If I win, I’m in a different state of mind, but I am always confident because I know what to do. I’m trying to do my best for the club and the team, thinking about what is best to win the next game. Not to protect the players or myself, but to create momentum.”

Brentford could have gone down to 10 men when Nathan Collins dragged down Bryan Mbeumo, but referee Craig Pawson awarded only a penalty, sparing the defender a red card.

“The referee told me Bryan is not in control of the ball. I think he is not in control of the ball because he was pulled. But that is the decision and I do not want to focus on the referee,” Amorim said.

Despite recent backing from co-owner Jim Ratcliffe, Amorim’s position may be under threat following another poor performance. The former Sporting Lisbon boss was hailed as one of Europe’s brightest young coaches but has struggled to turn United around after their decline since Sir Alex Ferguson’s 2013 retirement.

Last season, Amorim oversaw United’s worst league campaign since 1973-74 and a Europa League final defeat to Tottenham. Ratcliffe invested more than £250m in reinforcements, including Sesko, Matheus Cunha, and ex-Brentford forward Mbeumo, yet United have stumbled to defeats against Arsenal, Manchester City, Brentford, and even League Two side Grimsby in the Carabao Cup.

Reflecting on the latest setback, Amorim admitted: “The penalty in the second half changed things, but we never settled down. Possession and control of the game was never there, so we lost.

“We need to work on a lot of things. My biggest concern is we did not settle down in the game, missed a lot of crosses in the final third, and suffered from transitions. We played Brentford’s game, and when you play your opponent’s game it is harder to win.”