In the wake of heated critique surrounding his leadership following the international recess, Manchester United’s beleaguered boss, Erik ten Hag, believes a certain sense of “unfairness” drove their promising comeback against Brentford at Old Trafford. An unexpected setback was thrust upon ten Hag’s team as they trailed deep into first-half stoppage time, with a powerful header from Ethan Pinnock putting them in a losing position.
During this phase, an injured Matthijs de Ligt was allowed off the pitch for medical treatment, leaving United momentarily with just 10 players. This sparked outrage from ten Hag, who felt the decision unjustly affected the outcome of the game as he was issued a warning following the contentious goal.
Drawing on their sense of injustice, United managed to turn the tables in the second half. This beginning with an exceptional volley from Alejandro Garnacho which preceded a superb finish by Rasmus Højlund, securing a critical 2-1 victory for the team.
Speaking on the team’s performance, ten Hag contended that the pressure to win is a constant fact of life in football, especially when trailing, stating, “We feel a sense of unfairness and we use that as motivation for the latter half of the game where we stepped up the pace and managed to score two magnificent goals. Particularly, the second half performance delighted me.”
Addressing his earlier fury, ten Hag was perplexed why de Ligt, who only had dry blood from a previously treated injury, was forced off the field. He stated that he couldn’t comprehend why de Ligt was mandated to leave the field simply due to dry blood. According to ten Hag, the drop in player number was crucial given Brentford’s proficiency in corner opportunities, and losing one of their best headers meant Brentford had an unfair advantage, inciting his frustration.
The triumph on Saturday halted a streak of five games without a win in all competitions, as focus switched to the forthcoming journey to face Fenerbahce in the Europa League, a team led by ex-United manager Jose Mourinho, on Thursday.
“It’s simply a victory,” was Ten Hag’s response when inquired if beating Brentford signalled a turning point.
“The last sequence of matches saw us with inadequate wins – we suffered only a single defeat against Tottenham, a game in which our team was unfairly reduced to 10 men,” he expressed.
The manager pointed out the need to be more clinical as they were creating opportunities but not converting them into goals. He believes that by improving this aspect, they will start to win games.
On the other hand, Brentford’s manager, Thomas Frank, was let down by his team’s lackadaisical performance in the second half, particularly after having a promising start and taking the lead.
“We were superior in the first half, stark contrast to the second,” Frank declared humorously. “No doubt, Man United commanded the second half.”
Although content with the first half, Frank was pained that his team couldn’t elevate their performance in the second. He admitted his expectations of a strong comeback from United, but criticised his side’s passiveness.
The goal conceded within two minutes of the second half unsettled him. He attributed the shift in momentum to the goal, acknowledging a change in United’s confidence and a simultaneous dip in his team’s quality.
“We knew the importance of performing at our peak to compete with a team like Manchester United, with their high-quality players,” Frank confessed. He felt many of his players fell short in the second half, conceding that the result was a fair reflection of the game.