Manchester United suffered a disappointing 3-1 Premier League defeat at Brentford yesterday.
The Red Devils were second-best during the opening half at the Gtech Community Stadium.
Igor Thiago opened the scoring after a costly error from Harry Maguire. Altay Bayindir was partly at fault for the second and third goals.
Benjamin Sesko scored his maiden United goal against the Bees, but it was a mere consolation.
Things could have been different had Bruno Fernandes converted his penalty when the Red Devils were 2-1 down in the 75th minute.
Brentford were also fortunate to avoid a red card for Nathan Collins. In the end, it was another forgettable afternoon for United.
Speaking after the 3-1 loss, Micah Richards said that manager Ruben Amorim is ‘so stubborn’ in what he is trying to do on the playing field.
The former Manchester City defender added that his reluctance to change could lead to his undoing down the line, as his tactics are not working out.
He told BBC Sport: “I think because Ruben Amorim is being so stubborn in what he’s trying to do, it could be the undoing of him down the line.
“We can talk about the owners backing him but ultimately it’s just not working.”
Amorim has stuck with a 3-4-2-1 formation since the start of his United tenure. He has been adamant that he won’t change his philosophy.
We saw that on display against the Bees. The Portuguese tactician persisted with three at the break until the closing stages of the encounter.
He replaced Maguire with Leny Yoro after the hour mark to persist with a three-man central defence.
It was not until the 81st minute that Amorim decided to go with four at the back. Mason Mount replaced Luke Shaw to provide more creativity.
Subsequently, the manager also introduced Joshua Zirkzee in place of Patrick Dorgu, but it was too late to change the result in United’s favour.
Amorim has clearly stated that he won’t be changing his tactical system, but the 40-year-old needs to try and adapt during matches.
Yesterday was an occasion where United needed an extra personnel in midfield. Kobbie Mainoo could have been introduced at half-time to partner Manuel Ugarte and Bruno Fernandes.
With Fernandes pushing higher up, there was plenty of space to exploit in the centre of the park. Ugarte could not cover up sufficient ground on his own.
Amorim still has the backing of the club’s hierarchy. Next weekend’s game against Sunderland at Old Trafford appears a must-win for him personally.
If United fail to beat the Black Cats, we won’t be surprised if Amorim is not in the dug-out for the North-West derby at Liverpool after the international break.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com
