Manchester United showed little signs of the progress made since the turn of the year with an insipid and uninspiring 1-1 draw against Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium, with the Red Devils perhaps counting themselves lucky to have even collected a point. Here are the Manchester United key takeaways from a limp performance from Erik ten Hag’s men.
Manchester United Key Takeaways From A Dreadful Performance In West London
A night to forget but a memorable moment for Mason ❤️#MUFC || #BREMUN pic.twitter.com/12KNIRHhgi
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) March 30, 2024
The Red Devils Are Still Too Easy To Play Through
Whilst the team has made improvements since Christmas, Brentford exposed the weakness of the press in the first half, playing out and through Manchester United and into wide-open spaces in midfield.
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This has been a common theme for Ten Hag’s side this season and needs to be addressed, if they aspire to finish in the top four.
Marcus Rashford’s Crisis of Confidence
Marcus Rashford once again showed signs of a lack of confidence. Presented with opportunities to drive forward into the heart of the Brentford defence in the first half, the Englishman often preferred to play backwards, betraying a lack of self-confidence that seems to have lasted throughout the season so far.
Victor Lindelof Is Better At Centre-Back, But Still Weak
After looking suspect whilst deputising for the injured Luke Shaw at left-back in recent games, Victor Lindelof returned to his favoured role at centre-back. Whilst the Swede looked decidedly more comfortable, he was still left exposed by Brentford’s aerial threat and is often the weak link against physically strong opponents.
A Manchester United Without Inspiration Or Invention
The Red Devils looked lost going forward and shaky at the back, with players such as Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford, and Rasmus Hojlund reduced to potshots from distance, creating very few clear chances.
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At the back and in midfield, Ten Hag’s men failed to establish any semblance of control of proceedings and looked befuddled against Brentford’s direct and incisive wave of attacks.
Diogo Dalot Impresses Again
Portuguese right-back Diogo Dalot has been a player transformed this season, making a name for himself as one of the league’s best right-backs. Once again, he was one of the few positives from a frankly dreadful Manchester United display. Combative in duels and always offering an attacking outlet, he is the frontrunner for Player Of The Season at Old Trafford.
Mason Mount a Big Plus in Midfield
After a long injury layoff, the return of Mason Mount offers Ten Hag’s side more depth and energy in the middle of the park. The Englishman took his goal fantastically well and brought a much-needed spark to proceedings. It would have been an undeserved winner had the team held out – but a fantastic boost for a player unlucky in his first season in Manchester.
Manchester United Key Takeaways: We’ll Put It Down To Post-International Break Rust
It’s the only plausible reason for such a disjointed performance. It cannot be argued that Brentford didn’t deserve the victory, and the Red Devils came away from West London with a thoroughly undeserved point. There is much work to be done before another trip to the capital on Thursday, as United travel to Chelsea hoping for a much-improved performance to put their season and Champions League hopes back on track.
