up Saturday, Manchester United put up yet another lackluster display at Old Trafford despite Scott McTominay’s two goals in stoppage time.
In the third minute of extra time, the Red Devils were down 1-0, but because to two outstanding plays from McTominay, they managed to defeat Brentford and earn all three points.
On a day when they were ponderous and fragmented in attack, United may consider themselves fortunate to have won. The appalling defence that allowed Mathias Jensen to score the game’s first goal was a metaphor for the approach that has ruined the Red Devils’ start to the season.
Despite the outcome, United supporters had little cause for optimism, with the exception of Erik ten Hag’s substitutions, which gave the game’s last minutes more of an attacking emphasis. Christian Eriksen, Antony, Alejandro Garnacho, Anthony Martial, and, of course, McTominay were all introduced, which revealed Ten Hag’s growing desperation as the game approached its conclusion.
Only two of Ten Hag’s starting front six remained on the field after his substitutions. Ramsus Hojlund is currently the team’s top goal threat, as evidenced by the defeat to Galatasaray last week, and Bruno Fernandes is a player who is rarely replaced, therefore both of them played the full 90 minutes.
Marcus Rashford, who was hooked shortly after the hour mark despite United needing a goal, cannot be said to have experienced the same. This wasn’t an isolated incident, and Rashford has been substituted at various points in each of the last three games, even when United was in the lead.
Ten Hag acknowledged this week that the United forward, who scored 30 goals in all competitions last season, is’struggling’ at the start of a season that has produced only one goal from 10 matches. But for Rashford, whose contribution on Saturday was eclipsed by Alejandro Garnacho’s, being replaced in three straight games is a worrying trend. Again, this is not the first time this year, and it appears a matter of time before the latter takes Rashford’s spot in the starting lineup.
Despite the England international’s difficulties in the early going of the new campaign, there have been some encouraging instances, such as the performances against Bayern Munich and Arsenal. The Rashford of 2023–24 is different from the one that routinely worried defenses last season. He is less clinical and penetrative with his runs, and his body language implies a lack of confidence or motivation, or possibly both.
He is not the only player whose standards have fallen dramatically from last season; Casemiro was also dropped over the weekend after formerly being untouchable. The Brazilian, who was frequently a one-man juggernaut during his first season at Old Trafford, appears to be well behind the pack.
On Saturday, Casemiro repeatedly turned the ball over, once after sending it straight out of play after a throw-in, and he also contributed to Jensen’s opening goal.
Casemiro has had a dramatic decline, and most of United’s defensive problems this season can be attributed to his ineffective screening of the back four. With Sofyan Amrabat sitting in front of the defense, Ten Hag switched the midfielder into an offensive role against Brentford, but even the elimination of that defensive duty failed to spark an improvement in play, and Casemiro was actually taken off at halftime.
When questioned the reason behind his decision to replace Casemiro, Ten Hag replied, “I wanted more football.” “One who brings linking play, distribution, and passing. Bring Christian Eriksen for Case, I reasoned.
It’s not difficult to understand why Ten Hag won’t put up with these poor performances. Rashford and Casemiro were two of United’s top three scorers and assisters from the previous season, along with Fernandes, but Ten Hag was aware that the best way for his team to get back into the game was to take off his number. 10 and no. 18. That demonstrates how different things feel this term compared to previous, in my opinion.
While getting players like Rashford and Casemiro back to their best over the course of the entire season would be more important than one McTominay brace in October, Ten Hag expressed hope after the game on Saturday that United’s valiant comeback will be a “turning point” in the season.
