Erik ten Hag, the manager of Manchester United, has urged his players to perform with the consistency of robots. The team’s recent form in the league has been poor, with just three wins from their previous nine games and no goals in the last three. However, the team’s bid for a top-four place was reignited thanks to Marcus Rashford’s electric performance in their recent match against Brentford. Rashford scored his 28th goal of the season in the 28th minute, securing a victory that moved United back above Tottenham into those Champions League places.
Despite their progress in the cups, which has seen them win the Carabao and reach the semis of the FA Cup and quarters of the Europa League, United has experienced a dip in form in the race for the top four. Defeat at Newcastle on Sunday saw them drop out of those Champions League positions with what the boss called an “unacceptable” performance at St James’ Park. The Magpies had responded to their Carabao Cup final defeat while the suggestion from ex-United ace Rio Ferdinand has been that his old club had relaxed after winning its first silverware in six years.
Ten Hag denied this but needed a reaction from his players after their poor performance on Sunday, and it was clear from the first whistle that they wanted to provide one. The Red Devils spent most of the first period camped in Brentford’s half. It wasn’t just the midfield and forwards providing a threat either, with Luke Shaw and Raphael Varane having early runs at the Brentford back four.
The United boss made only one change from Sunday, dropping Wout Weghorst after 19 straight starts that have brought two goals, none in the league. Ten Hag has constantly defended him despite the overwhelming evidence for the prosecution. However, this season ends this club needs a proper No9 once again if it wants to make the next steps. Weghorst isn’t, Anthony Martial is always injured, and Rashford, for all his goalscoring exploits this season, is best coming in off the left.
Still, it was Rashford who added to his career-best goals tally for a season from a central position. That made him the joint best goalscorer in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era alongside Zlatan Ibrahimovic in 2016-17 and Bruno Fernandes in 2020-21, who both also got 28. There are likely to be plenty more to come before this season is up too.
The deadlock was broken when a cleared corner was chipped back into the area by Antony. On-loan Marcel Sabitzer rose highest to nod the ball back across goal for Rashford to meet on the half-volley and fire into the roof of the net. As ever, he celebrated by pointing to his temple. It’s all about mentality he claims, and his is spot on. It was about time for United as well, as this was their first goal in league football in 327 minutes.
Despite recent hiccups, this is a very different team to the one that Brentford hammered in the second game of the season. The question now was whether they could hammer home the advantage they had gained against Thomas Frank’s side. It was nearly handed straight back at the start of the second half. Brentford were clearly alert to David De Gea’s extremely limited ability to play the ball out from the back when Lisandro Martinez played a short goal-kick to his goalkeeper. The Spaniard’s attempted clearance was immediately charged down by Ivan Toney, who gambled on the goalkeeper making a mistake. The ball rebounded back off the Brentford forward and went just wide of De Gea’s goal.
The underrated Scott McTominay was putting another shift in tracking back and twice intervened when the Bees began to buzz around the United box. Then, when a De Gea clearance was immediately intercepted, Toney put sub Kevin Schade through one-on-one. What De Gea lacks in his distribution skills, he more than makes up for in his instinctive stops. Although on this occasion, when he came out and spread his body, it was his groin that stopped the ball much to his discomfort and resulting in a break in play.
United should have had a second with ten minutes remaining when Rashford teed up substitute Fred, but he fired over. This team creates chances, it just doesn’t have enough players who can put them away. That will be addressed in the summer because United has not won a league game without Rashford scoring since the 2-1 victory at Fulham on November 13. For now, it remains down to Rashford’s rediscovered goalscoring instincts to keep the season on the right course.