As Erik ten Hag walks through the corridors of the Gtech Community Stadium into the away dressing room on Saturday evening, he could be forgiven for harboring any feelings of fear or trepidation.
The last time he took Manchester United there he witnessed utter humiliation; Four goals in the first half saw his side, led by Cristiano Ronaldo and anchored by David de Gea in goal, torn to pieces.
Two games into his Premier League career, Ten Hag found himself in the hotseat as United were completely embarrassed and bottom of the table. The floodlights were blinding after just 180 minutes of the season.
“We are witnessing the destruction of Manchester United,” said an angry Gary Neville.
‘I thought United would do better, but they’ve been torn, bullied and tampered with like you wouldn’t believe, and there’s nowhere to hide.’
Erik ten Hag suffered a humiliating defeat at Brentford, leaving Man United at the bottom of the table
Cristiano Ronaldo (right) led the attack and Man United’s return this Saturday was a stark change
Your browser does not support iframes.
He wasn’t done there yet.
‘I’ve been watching United for 42 years and I can’t think of a time when I thought the first half was that bad.
‘Today was a new low. It continually looks like Manchester United can surpass their previous lows. When will the lowest low come? The reality is that this is really, really bad.”
MUST, the club’s Supporters’ Trust, were equally unimpressed and went to great lengths to release an official statement on the defeat.
‘What we have seen tonight is a shame, no, a humiliation, for the fans of Manchester United. And yet in many ways it wasn’t a surprise.” That reward was a sign of how far United had fallen.
It was, even two games later, a big moment for Ten Hag and his management. How would he react? The answer: a day off was quickly canceled. Players would have to make up for the 13.8 kilometers Brentford ran more than them.
Ten Hag also ran the distance, a sign that he was as responsible for the embarrassment as the players. That won favor in the locker room. It was unorthodox, but it worked and United beat Liverpool 2-1 in the next match.
“It’s easy to play in pre-season, you play for nothing, but when you play games that matter you need courage, you need to be more consistent and you need to be good players,” De Gea said after Brentford, before taking the took responsibility for his own individual mistakes. .
‘In my case, that wasn’t the case today and I have to keep working. Get started and stay together as a team. We have a lot to learn from a new manager.’
Brentford defeated United in the 4-0 win but expect a tougher test this time
Ten Hag (left) cannot afford a repeat because of the constant criticism about his future at Man United
David de Gea was guilty of mistakes that day and has since been expelled from the club
19 months later, Ten Hag are still under scrutiny, even with a trophy in the cabinet and a chance to reach back-to-back FA Cup finals. That’s the life of a Man United manager.
He returns to Brentford with a host of new players – most notably a new goalkeeper in Andre Onana who can play from the back as Ten Hag wishes – and the high of ending Liverpool’s quadruple bid is still fresh.
There will be no Ronaldo, no Jadon Sancho and no Fred, while Luke Shaw and Harry Maguire are injured and Christian Eriksen is out of favour. United comes with a completely different composition, at least in terms of personnel.
But as Ten Hag now knows well – much better than he knew after the mauling at Brentford last time – receiving flowers at Man United does not last long. Lose at Brentford and the control will once again be pushed to the limit.
United cannot afford any setbacks at this stage of the season. They cannot commit to a one step forward, two steps back approach because their hopes for Champions League football are so precariously shaken.
Brentford is a key fixture for United in their quest for Champions League football next season
Alejandro Garancho (left) expects to play a key role after emerging in recent months
Andre Onana (centre) is now between the sticks and this will be a test of Man United’s resolve
They are currently nine points behind fourth-place Aston Villa and six points behind fifth-place Tottenham Hotspur. With the potential that fifth place is enough for a place in the Champions League – England could get an extra place based on the UEFA coefficient – it is time for Ten Hag and his players to show the progress they have booked.
Lisandro Martinez is a completely different player to the one last seen at Brentford; Alejandro Garancho was an unused substitute that day and is now one of United’s most important players; Kobbie Mainoo’s confidence is sky high after his international debut with England; Marcus Rashford and Antony will hope their goals against Liverpool provide a springboard to finish this season successfully.
Ineos and Sir Jim Ratcliffe are keeping an eye on Ten Hag and while the short-term results are unlikely to affect them too much, he is repeating the humiliation of their last trip to Brentford and could well damage his cause by irreparably staying on as manager .
