A ‘tiger’ on Thursday, a ‘kitten’ on Sunday. The transformation of Manchester United is moving in the opposite direction of fans’ expectations. Although they’re on the verge of the Europa League final, with a chance to end the season with a trophy, they look pitiful in the Premier League, as confirmed by the visit to Brentford, where Thomas Frank’s team celebrated a 4–3 win. This handed the Red Devils their 16th league defeat — a record they haven’t reached in 35 years.The youngest United team loses in a seven goals thrillerThe match highlighted the massive problems of the English giant, problems many have ignored for years. Ruben Amorim isn’t one of them. He doesn’t sugarcoat reality like Erik ten Hag did, or before him Ole Gunnar Solskjær, Jose Mourinho, Louis van Gaal, and David Moyes. The Portuguese coach says what everyone sees:“At this moment, we are not ready to compete in the Premier League, nor to be competitive in it or in the Champions League. We’re aware of the situation, but we have to fight to win the Europa League to give something back to our fans and allow them to watch Champions League matches. Then we’ll have time to prepare the team for the challenges of those two competitions. It’s a dilemma, but of course, we want to win” emphasized the former Sporting manager.DAMN! 👀 Thats crazy.Did you expect this? pic.twitter.com/iUiKs0MB8z— cold pics of Manchester United (@utdsnaps) May 4, 2025 Since Amorim took over on November 11, only teams that have since been relegated to the Championship have recorded fewer wins than United. That’s the results side — as for the performances:“I don’t doubt we’re playing better than before and that we understand the way we want to play, but we have to take some hits. Under such circumstances, we lose league matches while fighting for the Europa League trophy, and we must accept that, keeping in mind that the most important match is on Thursday.”Usain Bolt names three players Manchester United should signBecause a return leg with Bilbao is coming up, Amorim made eight changes from the match in the Basque Country and fielded a team that now ranks third-youngest by average age in Premier League history. Among them were striker Chido Obi, the youngest United starter ever in an English league match, along with Harry Amass and Tyler Fredricson. Nothing against them personally, but this was an isolated incident, not a long-term strategy.“It’s important to understand that we can’t do this anymore. I understand the context, but we have to learn from this kind of season. Talents must realize what it means to play for Manchester United. The boys did well. They haven’t played much, and suddenly they have to be on the pitch for 90 minutes, because we had to rest some older players for Thursday. For these youngsters, it’s valuable just to have the chance to train with the first team, to get a feel for the game and its pace, and how to solve certain situations. For example, against Brentford, Chido Obi fought the whole time. Maybe he seemed a bit naive in how he positioned his body against opponents, but that’s how you learn.”Antony’s return to Old Trafford? Betis’ legend won’t let it happen!United’s first goal against Brentford came from Mason Mount, which will be important for him psychologically, as he had been out for a long time due to injury.“It’s not just about the goal, but about the role he has on the pitch. Mount is practically a third midfielder who can help us when we’re in or around the opponent’s penalty area. He’s really intelligent. Sometimes I have to take him off the pitch because we’re managing his fitness. Mason wants to play, but at this stage, his minutes are being controlled” added Ruben Amorim.ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE – MATCHDAY 35Friday Man. City – Wolverhampton 1-0 (1-0)/De Bruyne 35/Saturday Aston Villa – Fulham 1-0 (1-0)/Tielemans 12/Everton – Ipswich 2-2 (2-1)/Beto 26, McNeil 35 – Enciso 41, Hirst 79/Leicester – Southampton 2-0 (2-0)/Vardy 17, Ayew 44/Arsenal – Bournemouth 1-2 (1-0)/Rice 34 – Huijsen 67, Evanilson 75/Sunday Brentford – Manchester United 4-3 (2-1)/Shaw 27 og, Schade 33, 70, Wissa 74 – Mount 14, Garnacho 82, Diallo 90+5/Brighton – Newcastle 1-1 (1-0)/Minteh 28 – Isak (p) 89/West Ham – Tottenham 1-1 (1-1)/Bowen 28 – Odobert 15/Chelsea – Liverpool 3-1 (1-0)/Fernandez 3, Quansah 56(og), Palmer (p) 96 – Van Dijk 85/Monday22:00: (2.20) Crystal Palace (3.40) Nottingham Forest (3.55)***odds are subject to change***
