Perhaps Manchester United club legend Gary Neville said it best on Sky Sports today: “It’s a real achievement to spend £1bn and be this bad.” He then added: “Manchester United, these players have proved under 3 different managers now that they don’t work as hard as the teams that they’re playing against.”
Yes, you know exactly what he’s talking about, and it’s what happened at the Brentford Community Stadium on Saturday. The Bees got their first win over United in any competition since a 2-0 victory in the FA Cup, February 1938. On the other side, Erik Ten Hag becomes the first United manager in over 100 years to lose both of his first two matches. Yikes! What has ETH gotten himself into?!
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Gary Neville was not holding back tonight.
Say what you want about him but his passion for Manchester United football club is unmatched.
? @SkySportsPL pic.twitter.com/7NX4gTLt3c
— Football Tweet ?? (@Football__Tweet) August 13, 2022
So much for that “impressive” preseason, eh? That eroded pretty quick. Let’s take a look at some of the takes out there, in regards to this disaster at Brentford. By the way, all four goals were shipped out in the first half, marking the just the fourth time that United found themselves down 4-0 at halftime in the Premier League era.
Manchester United as a club are completely broken. Reputations and careers for both players and managers go there to die
— Andrew Cesare (@AndrewCesare) August 13, 2022
My thoughts on United already falling behind the Bees, this early, @Rob_in_indie @stueyissickofit @gonzalodelriov :#MUNBRE #BREMUN #ArnoldOut #MurtoughOut https://t.co/ve4tGmEMg1 pic.twitter.com/QrFsrcOu0y
— Paul M. Banks (@PaulMBanks) August 13, 2022
Brentford are slapping us up….my phones going off….my head hurts….my heart…HELP NEEDED
— Rio Ferdinand (@rioferdy5) August 13, 2022
Some interesting hard facts here, back to back:
Manchester United top scorer after two games v Brighton + Brentford: own goal.#MUFC
— Laurie Whitwell (@lauriewhitwell) August 13, 2022
#MUFC finished 2021-22 with 58 points, zero goal difference, worst Premier League season.
Lost Pogba, Matic, Lingard, Cavani, Mata, Greenwood, Henderson (loan), Telles (loan) – signed a CB new to PL, back-up LB + free transfer.
Qs for Ten Hag, but what changes can he make?
— Laurie Whitwell (@lauriewhitwell) August 13, 2022
This is the soccer equivalent of Bart Simpson’s “now even Martin is scoring points off me.”
What’s the point. @ManUtd
— Taylor Twellman (@TaylorTwellman) August 13, 2022
Painful, but accurate:
Manchester United, Rest In Peace.
Killed by ownership who put corporate over football, frittered away the inheritance of a dominant 20 years and didn’t listen to the original Green and Gold campaign when they warned of this.
Sad to see.
— Stan Collymore??? (@StanCollymore) August 13, 2022
One last tweet for the road:
Brentford vs Manchester United match report.pic.twitter.com/mtelVS9YwQ
— YabaLeftOnline (@yabaleftonline) August 13, 2022
It doesn’t get any easier, when they play Liverpool next weekend. No wonder so many United supporters are planning to not show up.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Bank (TheSportsBank.Net) and author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” as well as “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune, and he co-hosts the After Extra Time podcast, part of Edge of the Crowd Network. Follow him and the website on Twitter and Instagram.