They at least managed to stop the bleeding at Manchester United. On the pitch, if not the head of Matthijs de Ligt.
The sticking plasters were provided by Alejandro Garnacho and Rasmus Hojlund. Providing a crucial and much-needed win that will extend that walk Erik ten Hag is taking down the plank.
But for a while, it looked like from the skull of de Ligt, to the performance and the deluded mutterings of Ten Hag, the wounds were showing no signs of being able to heal. No wonder Sir Alex Ferguson chose to go to Glasgow to watch Celtic against Aberdeen, instead of taking his usual seat at Old Trafford.
It was him sticking two fingers up to Sir Jim Ratcliffe & Co, having been told his ambassadorial role was being taken off him. But despite seeing Aberdeen draw, Fergie will have still had much more fun north of the border than had he been in Manchester.
United might have won, but it all felt like hard work. A hollow triumph that will do little to make supporters believe the good times are heading back to the red half of Manchester. United bosses seem reluctant to put Ten Hag out of his misery, while the Dutchman has received some help from Gareth Southgate and Thomas Tuchel.
(Image: PA)
Both have been candidates to replace Ten Hag, but Southgate has taken a sabbatical from management, while Tuchel has taken the England job. Not that Ten Hag has ever believed reports about his job being under threat. To such an extent he has accused the media of writing “fairytales and lies” about him. So in the interests of good, honest journalism, here are a few home truths and facts, Erik.
Ratcliffe interviewed Tuchel towards the end of last season when he was considering sacking Ten Hag. Before this, United also spoke to Thomas Frank in the spring. Prior to the international break, United held a board meeting, when Ten Hag’s position was high on the agenda.
Ahead of this visit of Brentford, United found themselves 14th in the table following their worst-ever start to a Premier League season. United had won three of their first 11 games in all competitions and gone five games without a win.
(Image: PA)
More than 300 minutes had passed without United even scoring a goal, while the last time United had gone six games without a win was back in 2019. How’s that for a dossier of facts?
Perhaps Ten Hag chooses to peddle his nonsense about lies because he knows the truth hurts. But at least he was spared some more pain here, following a stirring second-half fightback from his team of expensive misfits.
It hadn’t looked so good on the stroke of halftime when Ethan Pinnock headed Brentford in front. It sent Ten Hag into a rage because De Ligt had been forced off before the corner was taken to have a cut head treated for the third time in the game.
(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Yet the blood involved meant referee Sam Barrott had no choice but to abide by the rules and protocols. It’s just an idea, but had United’s medical staff taken De Ligt off to deal with the gash properly in the first place, the farcical scenario might not have happened in the first place, either.
Talk about making life even harder for yourself. But whatever Ten Hag said at the break worked. United grew in confidence against a side lacking belief they could go on and win
This was United’s first win in more than a month. Ten Hag clenched his fists at the final whistle, and he continues to live to fight another day. He could even argue it was a fairytale ending to a day that had threatened to turn dark.
But don’t be fooled, because this really would be a genuine lie.