The statistics for Manchester United are becoming more and more painful under manager Rúben Amorim. On Saturday afternoon, partly due to a missed penalty by Bruno Fernandes, the away match against Brentford was also lost in a way that drove the Portuguese coach to despair. And the same goes for the results in away games.
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The statistics for Manchester United are becoming more and more painful under manager Rúben Amorim, and Saturday’s 3–1 defeat away to Brentford added yet another bitter chapter to a season filled with frustration and missed opportunities.
What made the loss even harder to digest was the manner in which it unfolded. United not only wasted a golden opportunity when Bruno Fernandes failed to convert from the penalty spot, but they also collapsed defensively in ways that highlighted long-standing issues within the squad. For Amorim, who arrived in Manchester with the reputation of a tactical innovator and a proven winner in Portugal, the defeat was another blow that left him visibly dejected on the sidelines.
The struggles away from Old Trafford have become an alarming trend. Out of their last eleven away matches across all competitions, United have secured only a single victory a 0–3 triumph over Athletic Bilbao in the Europa League semifinal, a match largely dictated by an early red card to Bilbao defender Dani Vivian. In the Premier League, the picture is even bleaker. The last away league win dates back to March 16, when United convincingly defeated relegated Leicester City 0–3. Since then, the list of opponents who have taken full points from Amorim’s side has grown depressingly long: Nottingham Forest, Brentford, Chelsea, Manchester City, and once again Brentford. The only consolation has been a pair of 1–1 draws against Bournemouth and Fulham, hardly enough for a club with United’s ambitions.
For a team once synonymous with dominance and consistency, these are humiliating statistics. Manchester United, a club that built its legacy on controlling games and overwhelming opponents, now find themselves regularly undone by lapses in concentration and an inability to impose their game plan. Perhaps the most damning figure is that since Amorim’s appointment in November 2024, United have fallen behind in 21 Premier League matches more than any other side in the division. The Portuguese manager has already suffered 17 league defeats in just 33 games, surpassing the total number of losses he endured in 167 matches with Sporting Portugal (14). It is a record that starkly illustrates the difficulty he has faced in translating his success in Lisbon to the far more unforgiving environment of English football.
United’s plight this season is underscored by the fact that only Burnley (4), West Ham United (4) and Wolverhampton Wanderers (5) have suffered more defeats than Amorim’s men. That company is hardly befitting of a club with United’s history, financial muscle, and global stature. The expectation is always to challenge for the title or at the very least to secure Champions League football, but the current trajectory makes even a European spot look uncertain.
After the final whistle at the Gtech Community Stadium, Amorim was candid in his post-match reflections. What frustrated him most was not just the defensive lapses or the squandered chances, but the way his team allowed themselves to be dragged into Brentford’s preferred style of play. “We didn’t control the game, we played Brentford’s game,” he admitted to TNT Sports. He pointed to the first goal, which came from a long ball delivered by Jordan Henderson, as a perfect example of a scenario they had specifically prepared for during training sessions. “We had worked on that all week, just like on set pieces. We knew what was going to happen and still they got the chance. We have to do better.”
For Amorim, the core issue lies in mentality and identity. His philosophy has always been about dictating the terms of the contest, forcing the opponent to adapt. Yet, against Brentford, he saw the opposite. “We only had control occasionally, but it was more or less the same story again. We have to play our own game, not the opponent’s. But they were better at it.” His words reflected not just tactical frustration, but a deeper concern about the character and resilience of his squad.
The defeat has inevitably increased pressure on his position. In England, where patience with managers is often limited and results dictate narratives, Amorim’s honeymoon period has long since ended. While his reputation remains intact in Portugal, where his work at Sporting delivered titles and admiration, in Manchester he is now fighting to prove he can withstand the scrutiny that comes with leading one of the world’s most demanding clubs. “Of course, that happens when you lose at this club,” he acknowledged. “It hurts a lot, but we already have to think about the next match.”
That next match, at home against Sunderland, suddenly carries added weight. Though Sunderland may not be among the league’s giants, any further slip at Old Trafford could worsen the atmosphere around the club and fuel speculation about Amorim’s long-term future. For now, the manager insists on focusing on solutions, but the statistics, performances, and results continue to paint a picture of a team stuck in a damaging cycle – one that will require both resilience and significant improvements to break.
