Erik ten Hag without Man Utd's secret weapon for must-win clash with Brentford
Erik ten Hag survived a crucial home meeting with Brentford in October 2023 but the Manchester United manager will need to find himself a new hero this time around
by Tom Victor · The MirrorManchester United manager Erik ten Hag has had an international break to regroup, but the pressure on the Dutchman will be back for his team's match against Brentford on Saturday.
United have failed to score in any of their last three Premier League outings, most recently playing out a goalless draw away at Aston Villa. Ten Hag's team have just five league goals from seven outings - only Southampton have fewer, while both Ipswich and Wolves have scored more despite not yet winning a single match.
Eight points from seven matches represents United's lowest ever total at this stage of a Premier League season. It's one fewer than at this point last season, when Ten Hag's team had scored seven goals.
Strangely, their eighth match last season also saw them welcome Brentford to Old Trafford. On that occasion, they were rescued by super-sub Scott McTominay, but they won't be able to call on the Scotland international this time around.
“Consistency, that is the problem we are struggling with,” Ten Hag said ahead of the match. "In parts of the game - I will say in big parts of the game - we do a lot of things right, but then there are moments where we are struggling - and in such moments we can't survive.
United went into the game off the back of a Champions League defeat at home to Galatasaray, which featured a nervy display from goalkeeper Andre Onana and a red card for Casemiro. Onana then failed to keep out a first-half effort from Brentford's Mathias Jensen at Old Trafford, prompting some Brentford fans to regale Ten Hag with a chorus of 'You're getting sacked in the morning".
Ten Hag turned to his bench in the second half, with Christian Eriksen, Antony, Alejandro Garnacho and Anthony Martial introduced at various points. McTominay came on three minutes from time as a final throw of the dice, but it was he who made the difference with a pair of stoppage-time goals to turn the game on its head.
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That wasn't the only time United benefited from McTominay's goals, with only Rasmus Hojlund bettering his seven in the league. This was despite McTominay starting just 18 league games, and he decided to move on over the summer in the hope he'd be able to get more regular minutes at Napoli.
So it has proved, with the Scot making a quick early impact under Antonio Conte. The 27-year-old scored his first Napoli goal in a 5-0 Coppa Italia victory over Palermo in late September, and opened his Serie A account a week later as Conte's side won 3-1 against Como.
While McTominay thrives on the continent, his former club have struggled to assert themselves despite £200million worth of new players arriving in the summer transfer window. Ten Hag might need bailing out again as history threatens to repeat itself against Brentford, but he'll need a new hero to step forward.
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