Ruben Amorim criticised his Manchester United side for lacking control, composure and character after a 3-1 loss at Brentford, their latest setback under his troubled tenure. The defeat leaves United with 34 points from 33 Premier League games since Amorim's appointment last November.
Brentford raced into a 2-0 lead inside 20 minutes through Igor Thiago, exploiting United's vulnerability to quick long balls on the transition. Amorim was frustrated that his players failed to implement training-ground instructions, particularly in defending such situations. He also felt Matheus Cunha should have been awarded a free-kick before the first goal, though he acknowledged it would have been a soft decision.
Bruno Fernandes missed a 76th-minute penalty at 2-1 after Brentford defender Nathan Collins avoided a red card for a last-man foul on Bryan Mbeumo. Amorim declined to dwell on the officiating, saying: 'I want, especially in these kind of moments, not focus on the referee.'
Amorim made attacking substitutions, introducing Kobbie Mainoo, Mason Mount and Joshua Zirkzee, but stuck with his 3-4-2-1 system. He ended up with Mbeumo at right wing-back and Mount at left wing-back. 'When we win it's not the system; when we lose it's the system,' he said. 'It's more that we play this game like Brentford wants us to play this game. We never play our game.'
Despite the result, Amorim insisted he could turn things around. '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. So guys, I'm always doing my job.'
