Player Ratings: Brentford 4-0 Manchester United

Player ratings from Manchester United’s 0-4 loss to Brentford

David de Gea: 1/10

Look, I know you want me to give everyone a zero but we have to start with something. I have tried to be kind to him because he was once a favorite of mine even though I’ve alluded to moving on from him multiple times in pieces for TheBusbyBabe. Should’ve been replaced two seasons ago.

Diogo Dalot: 1/10

Played some nice balls into the box from the final third. Part of his game that needs to improve going forward. No one in the team is getting over one for this game.

Harry Maguire: 1/10

Was there and couldn’t stop the pile-on.

Lisandro Martinez: 1/10

Think he’ll come good eventually but the first two weeks have been a baptism of fire.

Luke Shaw: 1/10

Played his part in one good attack after the first goal was conceded. Was pulled off at half-time.

Fred: 1/10

He tried like he always does. Was taken off at half-time.

Christian Eriksen: 1/10

Got dispossessed plenty of times in a deeper role.

Bruno Fernandes: 1/10

Ineffective.

Marcus Rashford: 1/10

Looks like he’s been mentally checked out for a while.

Cristiano Ronaldo: 1/10

Not his fault that he was signed but best to let this story end in the next couple of weeks.

Jadon Sancho: 1/10

Was taken off at 60 minutes. Already seems to have lost the promise he showed in pre-season.

Substitutes

In a match that was over in the first half, you can’t really provide much.

Manager

Erik ten Hag: 2/10

The club looked like they were in recovery mode after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s first season. In many pieces for this website, I’ve hinted at how he messed up some of his good work with last season’s summer window. I believe some of those decisions also led to some big first XI decisions in the early months of last season, which affected the team adversely.

I advocated for Ralf Ragnick’s arrival because I was hoping that he wouldn’t allow for errors of that 2021/22 window to be repeated. It looked like those above him had decided to distance themselves from him quite early after results didn’t improve and his transparent press conferences were never likely to go down well.

Erik ten Hag needs the help. The fans will back him for now because he’s just got into the job but he needs to play all his cards now. The good managers in this league have had some big losses in their first season. 3-0 against Watford for Klopp and the 4-0 and 4-2 losses to Everton and Leicester City for Guardiola.

I don’t think he needs to be an Antonio Conte but he needs to make some big decisions right now. Some of those decisions like dropping David De Gea might be out of his hand because the second goalkeeper has left on loan. The same goes for the circus around Cristiano Ronaldo, who doesn’t seem to have any buyers. He’ll have to go to the market now. I don’t think we’re getting a point against Liverpool.

A midfielder in a deeper role and a goalkeeper won’t come into the side by then. A massive month lies ahead.