Bruno Fernandes blows penalty as Manchester United lose at Brentford

The holy grail continues to elude Ruben Amorim. Call it progress, consistency, momentum. Or just back-to-back Premier League victories for the first time. The manager had taken encouragement from last Saturday’s 2-1 home win over Chelsea, even if United had almost located their own feet with heavy gunfire in the closing stages.

It needed to be a platform. And yet, as so often under their beleaguered leader, United followed one step forward with two in the opposite direction. The question beforehand had concerned which United would turn up because nobody can ever be sure, least of all Amorim.

They gave their answer during a laughably bad opening 25 minutes when they conceded two horror goals and were fortunate that the damage was not worse. Igor Thiago continued his positive start to the season for Brentford, scoring both of them and, for United, the tone was set.

There was a first United goal for Benjamin Sesko in the 26th minute but his team pretty much went through the bingo card of frustrating stuff after that. Lack of conviction at the back. Lack of penetration in the final third. Errors all over the pitch. Check.

There was even a penalty miss by Bruno Fernandes on 76 minutes, his second in west London of the season, after the one he blazed into the Thames at Fulham. This time, after another long wait, the Brentford goalkeeper, Caoimhín Kelleher, read his intentions and went the right way to save.

Amorim finished with Kobbie Mainoo, Joshua Zirkzee and Mason Mount on as substitutes. It was Mainoo alongside Fernandes in midfield, Bryan Mbeumo at right wing-back, Mount at left wing-back. It was total attack. And yet, predictably, it would end in a total mess as Brentford broke in stoppage-time and the substitute, Mathias Jensen, flashed a shot from outside the box through the hands of Altay Bayindir.

For Keith Andrews, it was another good home result; the statement victory of his Brentford tenure so far. For Amorim, the numbers in the league are probably worth printing: W9 D7 L17.