Brentford 3 Man United 1:Amorim's awful record and Bruno's penalty woes

Ruben Amorim’s struggles at Manchester United deepened with a 1-3 defeat at Brentford, where the home side capitalised on familiar defensive errors and left serious questions about the Portuguese coach’s future. Since his arrival from Sporting last November, United have collected only 34 points from 33 Premier League games, winning just nine.

At the Gtech Community Stadium, Igor Thiago scored twice in the first half. United responded before the break through Seso, who pulled one back with a composed finish. It was his first goal in a United shirt and gave the visitors hope heading into halftime.

The second half brought the game’s biggest controversy. Brentford’s Nathan Collins brought down Mbeumo as he broke through on goal. United players felt the defender should have been sent off, but the referee showed only a yellow card and handed over a penalty to United. The decision left a big question hanging over the match and remains a major talking point.

United had the chance to draw level from the spot, but Bruno Fernandes failed to convert from the spot.

Bruno Fernandes penalty struggles
• Missed second penalty of the season
• Six Premier League penalties missed since his debut
• More than any other player in the competition since the Portuguese made his debut in the Premier League

Brentford, backed by their home crowd, sealed a deserved victory when Mathias Jensen struck late in the match from outside the box.

Amorim’s Manchester United record
• Games played: 33
• Wins: 9
• Draws: 7
• Losses: 17
• Win rate: 27.2 percent
• Goals scored: 39
• Goals conceded: 54
• Goal difference: minus 15
• Points: 34

For all the attention on individual mistakes, Amorim’s numbers reveal the deeper problem. The team has managed only one win in every three matches, carries a negative goal difference and continues to struggle with the basics of the game. This cannot go on forever.