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A comically inept opening 25 minutes set the tone as Ruben Amorim’s side were subjected to a thoroughly deserved defeat in west London Read David Hytner’s match report from the Gtech You don’t say, Ruben. Manchester United’s head coach has been talking to TNT Sports. “Of course we want to win, ” he tells them. “We didn’t control the game. We played the game of Brentford. First balls, second balls, set pieces. All the crucial moments were against us. Tough to lose again but we need to think about the next one. “The first goal was a long ball. We worked on that in the week, and on set pieces. We knew the long balls [were to be expected] and one touch they had the opportunity. We need to do better. “We didn’t play our game. We only had control for some moments. But it was more or less all the same. We need to play our games, not the opponent’s, but they were stronger on that. ” And on his immediate job prospects: “It is always the same to lose at this club, it hurts a lot. We need to think about the next one. ” Next up for Manchester United? Sunderland at home. An email: “You enjoy seeing Manchester United lose? ” writes Mark W. “Why the hell are you providing play-by-play, then? What happened to impartial reporting? The Manchester Guardians anti-United agenda continues unabated. ” Quite apart from the fact that my reporting was completely impartial and the current iteration of the team from Old Trafford doesn’t need mine or anyone else’s help in peddling any sort of anti-United agenda when they’re doing such a good job of it themselves, somebody should probably tell our American friend that everyone of a certain age in the UK and Ireland who doesn’t support United enjoys seeing them lose. Second half recap: Given the chance to equalise from the spot for a Nathan Collins foul on Bryan Mbeumo that I and many others are convinced should have resulted in a red card for the Brentford skipper, Bruno Fernandes was forced to wait almost five minutes to take Manchester United’s penalty while the occupants of the VAR booth faffed around before arriving at what I’m fairly certain was a completely wrong decision. Brentford’s coaching team did their bit to maximise the delay by making some substitutions; a sublime bit of gamesmanship. After all that hanging around, the United cpatain’s poor effort was saved by Caoimhin Kelleher and United never really threatened again, before conceding their third goal of the game to a Brentford counter-attack in added time. On as a sub, Matthias Jensen ensured Bretnford took all three points with a fine strike from distance that he only seemed to take on because he had no other options available. It’s an excellent win for Brentford, while Manchester United remain the gift that just keeps on giving. Manchester United: Led by Bruno Fernandes and looking genuninely ashamed of themselves, Manchester United’s players slink towards the away end to applaud the few remaining Manchester United fans who haven’t already left the Gtech Stadium. United’s skipper looks on the verge of tears, while just over his shoulder, Joshua Zirkzee has the thousand-yard stare of a haunted young troop who has just come back from the front. The once all-conquering Manchester United are an absolute shambles and it’s difficult to see how the club hierarchy can let things meander on in their current dismal state. Indeed, there’s so much wrong at the club that it’s difficult to know where they’ll even start but I have a fair idea. Stay tuned for post-match reaction … Full time: It’s a statement win for Brentford’s fledgling manager Keith Andrews and could yet be a statement defeat for Ruben Amorim, whose side continue to plumb new depths. They are hopeless. 90+6 min: “Sacked in the morning! You’re getting sacked in the morning! ” I’m not sure whether it’s Brentford fans or travelling Manchester United fans who are serenading Ruben Amorim but whoever it is, they might be right. Wow! Not long on as a sub, Mathias Jensen arrows a beauty of a shot past Altay Bayindir from about 25 yards out to round off a splendid counter-attack. That is a beauty. 90+5 min: Joshua Zirkzee is on the pitch and heads over. 90+2 min: It looks like it’s back to the drawing board for that already top-heavy Manchester United fan who is refusing to get his hair cut until after Manchester United win five games in a row. It was an overly ambitious wheeze, given their extraordinary inability to even put two wins back-to-back. An already high barnet is about to get much higher. 89 min: Brentford substitution: Matthias Jensen on for Igor Thiago, who leaves to a standing ovation. We’ll have eight added minutes. 88 min: “It’s an absolute joke that Fernandes had to wait four minutes to take that penalty, ” writes Joshua Keeling. “And it’s an even bigger joke that Collins wasn’t sent off. How was that not the denial of a clear goalscoring opportunity? ” While I suspect Joshua might be a United fan, as a neutral (albeit one who loves seeing United lose) I have to say it’s difficult to disagree with any of that. 87 min: We’re into the final three minutes of normal time but given all the substitutions and unadulterated tomfoolery in the VAR booth, I suspect there could be eight or nine minutes of added time. 86 min: Manchester United substitution: Mason Mount is on for Luke Shaw. 84 min: De Ligt slips in his own penalty area, falls over and handles the ball completely accidentally on his way to ground. Brentford fans appeal for a penalty but none is forthcoming. Patrick Dorgu is penalised and booked for a foul on Keane Lewis-Potter, giving Brentford a free-kick wide on the right. Sesko heads it clear. 82 min: Kevin Schade is booked for a professional foul on Cunha, then Brentford bring on Vitaly Janelt and Frank Onyeka for Damsgaard and Henderson. 80 min: It’s difficult to see how Andy Madley in the VAR bunker arrived at the conclusion that Nathan Collins should not have been sent off. The Brentford captain made no attempt to play the ball and in the process of tugging on Mbeumo’s shirt, denied him a clear goalscoring opportunity. Madley studied that for over three minutes and decided the referee was in fact correct in only giving Collins a yellow card. To be clear, I have no skin in this game but the whole process makes little or no sense. 78 min: Those Brentford substitutions: Rico Henry and Keane Lewis-Potter on for Hickey and Ouattara. Brentford get inside Fernandes’s head by making several substitutions before he can take the penalty. Over four minutes after it was awarded, the United skipper steps up and has his low shot saved by Kelleher. 71 min: Nathan Collins tugs Bryan Mbeumo in the penalty area as he tries to sprint on to a pass from Dalot. Mbeumo screams and stretches out his arms like a seam bowler appealing for LBW, referee Craig Pawson has a think about it, blows his whistle and points to the spot. Collins is booked but there’s a very long VAR check to see if Collins should be sent off for denying a goalscoring opportunity. He gets away with it despite VAR taking over three minutes to try to re-referee the game. 69 min: It’s probably worth mentioning that the pass Dorgu was chasing as he was fouled by Ouattara was an outlandish rabona from Matheus Cunha, the Brazilian’s first contribution of note that I can remember in this match. 67 min: Ouattara fouls Dorgu and United have a free-kick wide on the left. Fernandes sends the ball drifting towards the edge of the Brentford penalty area, where the home side clear and break upfield. 65 min: Manchester United double-substitution: Leny Yoro and Kobee Mainoo on for Harry Maguire and Manuel Ugarte. 63 min: Schade outmuscles Dalot far too easily as the duo contest a ball sent through the left side of the penalty area. He squares it for Ouattara, whose low shot is saved by Bayindir. That’s a good stop down low to his left but I’m filing it in the drawer marked “missed sitters” because Ouattara had the goal at his mercy and should have given the United goalkeeper no chance. 61 min: Brentford win a free-kick in the centre-circle, which Hickey clips towards Collins. The Irishman wins the header and sends the ball towards the edge of the six-yard box where Sepp van den Berg stretches every sinew but can only poke a weak effort into the waiting gloves of Altay Bayindir. 59 min: Fernandes follows suit, latching on to a ball down the inside right and squaring it. Kelleher gets down to gather comfortably. 58 min: Oof! Bryan Mbeumo whips the ball across the face of the United goal but Partick Dorgu is unable to convert at the far post. 55 min: Bruno Fernandes is booked for a wild swing of his boot at Dango Ouattara. VAR take a look to see if it should be upgraded to a red but the United skipper gets away with a caution despite going in high on the Brentford winger. 53 min: Brentford win a free-kick wide on the left in a good position for a Matthijs De Ligt shove on somebody-or-other. The Dutchman protests his innocence at great length, even as the free-kick is being swung into the penalty are by Damsgaard. Patrick Dorgu clears. 51 min: Bryan Mbeumo advances down the right after latching on to Sesko flick-on and plays the ball inside to Matheus Cunha in a pocket of space outside the Brentford penalty area. His low shot is feeble and straight at Caoimhin Kelleher. 50 min: Brentford go on the attack again, with Henderson, Damsgaard and Ouattara linking up well before Manchester United win the ball back. 48 min: A terrified father, I hasten to add, who has heard all the practice sessions and is painfully aware the child in question can’t play the violin for toffee. 47 min: On the touchline, Ruben AMorim is pacing relentlessly, exuding all the calm of a terrified father watching his six-year-old child perform a solo violin recital at the school play. 47 min: Kayode’s delivery to the near post is gathered by Bayindir. 46 min: The second half starts with Brentford on the ball and no changes in personnel on either side. Brentford immediately win a throw-in deep in Manchester United half. Over to you, Michael Kayode … A quick recap: Brentford opened a two-goal lead, their first coming from an Igor Thiago surface-to-air screamer inside the near post after Jordan Henderson had sent him on his way with a superb delivery from deep. Manchester United goalkeeper Altay Bayindir was forced to make three good saves before Brentford doubled their advantage, Thiago scoring his second on the follow-up after Bayinder had parried a Kevin Schade pull-back into his path. With United all over the place and in a total panic, they somehow pulled a goal back when Benjamin Sesko scored at his third attempt after Caoimhin Kelleher failed to deal sufficiently with a cross under pressure from Bryan Mbeumo. The goal seemed to calm United’s very obvious jitters but they remain behind at the break in a thrilling game. Half-time: The players troop off the pitch after a terrific start to the Premier League weekend. More, please. 45+4 min: Kayode gets the ball launched towards the near post from the touchline but Maguire is on hand to head it clear before it can reach Sepp van den Berg. 45+3 min: Kayode gifts possession to Luke Shaw, who puts the ball out for a Brentford throw-in with a dismal first touch. 45+2 min: We’re into four minutes worth of add-ons at the end of a tremendously entertaining, action-packed first half. 44 min: Another Kayode long throw. No, scrap that. With everyone expecting the right-back to slingshot another ball into the box, he plays this one short so Ouattara can whip a cross instead. Aaron Hickey is unable to get his head to the ball. 39 min: Manchester United get in on the long throw action but Diogo Dalot’s looping delivery into the Brentford box is headed away by Nathan Collins. I have a rhetorical question: why is Nathan Collins an ever-present rock for Brentford but a complete liability whenever he pulls on a Republic of Ireland shirt? Rhetorical answers on a postcard, please. 37 min: Matheus Cunha sends Fernandes on his way and the United skipper advances towards the edge of the Brentford penalty area. His shot is blocked by Nathan Collins and goes out for a corner. Harry Maguire gets underneath the deep delivery to the far post but Brentford clear their lines. Better from United, but it’s a very low bar. 35 min: Michael Kayode takes another long throw towards the near post, where Harry Maguire heads it clear. It’s actually a shorter long throw than the longer long throws the Brentford full-back’s been throwing thus far. 33 min: In good news for Manchester United fans, I can reveal that Brentford have already lost eight points from winning positions in the Premier League so far this season. Since pulling a goal back, United have noticeably calmed down. They were running around like headless chickens after the opener went in.