Defeating Athletic Bilbao or a season considered a failure is a popular view of Manchester United in recent times. The fact that they suffered their 16th defeat of the season when they lost 3-4 to Brentford clarified that. However, there is something more than that behind the "Red Devils' difficulties".
Coach Ruben Amorim used a squad of many young players against Brentford. Considering Man United's recent domestic form and the 8 changes made after the victory over Athletic Bilbao, a defeat is almost inevitable.
It seems that Amorim wants to put all his efforts into the Europa League. However, that does not answer the difficult question: why are they the only team unbeaten in the European Cup this season, but have not won against Brentford?
Since the 1-0 win over Fulham, Man United have played 10 games (excluding the bottom three) and have not won any. Meanwhile, in the European Cup, the "Red Devils" overcame Real Sociedad and Lyon.
Unless there is a big shock, Athletic Bilbao could be added to that list. At that time, they are only one match away from winning the Europa League. And when you look at their form in the Premier League, it's really hard to explain.
The defeat to Brentford, although not the fairest match to draw conclusions, was a perfect testament to the problems Amorim faced in the Premier League. Man United simply cannot cope with Brentford's physical strength, speed and direct play.
The Red Devils struggled with long balls, crosses and set pieces throughout the 90 minutes. Matthijs de Ligt's injury has forced a key player off the pitch, and everyone is anxiously waiting to see if the Dutchman will miss the rest of the campaign.
"I don't know the specific situation so I'm really worried, not for the game on Thursday. We replaced Luke Shaw in the first half to defend and save energy for the upcoming match, but I am more concerned about whether it is a minor injury or a serious injury that will affect next season," Amorim said of De Ligt's condition.
With 16 losses this season, Man United has set a sad record. This is the campaign they have lost the most in the past 35 years. The last time Man United lost 16 Premier League games was in the 1989-1990 season.
Regardless of who starts, as this season has shown, Man United's weaknesses will continue to exist. Amorim inherited a squad that was not capable of dealing with the harshness of English football. Those team-building mistakes will need to be corrected this summer, especially if they qualify for the Champions League.
"We are not ready to compete in both the Premier League and Champions League. We know that, but we need to fight for the Europa League title, to bring joy to the fans and win tickets to the Champions League.
After that, we will have time to prepare the squad to deal with both arenas" - Amorim added.
