Ten Hag hoping Man Utd's comeback win over Brentford shows players what they can do

The Dutch manager was pleased with his side's togetherness. 

MOMENTUM: Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag salutes the fans after the Premier League match at Old Trafford.

It is a sign of the depths to which Manchester United have sunk that players also sank - to their knees and celebrated like it was the end of a trophy-winning win in May on the final whistle against Brentford.

A come-from-behind 2-1 win hardly recalled the glory years under Alex Ferguson, the club icon United dismissed from his role as global ambassador this week, but in the opening weeks of this campaign, any three points is priceless.

At one stage in the first half, after Southampton had scored twice in their eventual defeat to Leicester, United were actually the division’s lowest goalscorers with five; a state of affairs that only improved after excellent goals from Alejandro Garnacho and Rasmus Hojlund earned the win in the second half.

The winner was Hojlund’s first league goal of the season and a superb finish, the sort of moment that reminded you why United were tempted to pay Atalanta £72 million for his services last summer.

“He was injured at the start of the season, now he’s back,” said ten Hag. “But alongside him we have enough players with scoring abilities. Today we scored two goal, hopefully it will give confidence to players that they can do it.” 

Perhaps but, also, perhaps not. Hojlund, at 21, is still very much a work in progress and cannot be expected to carry the total burden of United’s goalscoring responsibilities. That said, with Ruud van Nistelrooy now on their coaching staff, Hojlund certainly has the perfect mentor.

Van Nistelrooy was in the thick of the drama against Brentford, booked as United complained bitterly that Matthijs de Ligt had been ordered off to have treatment to a bleeding head wound just before Ethan Pinnock scored from a corner.

But aside from his obvious passion, van Nistelrooy appears to already be having an impact on his star striker.

“Yes, obviously, he's helping us every day, but he's also helping the defence and the midfield. He's a very good assistant coach, but obviously, he's a great striker,” said Hojlund.

“You're trying to learn everything about him and all these sort of things. I haven't had that long time to learn from him yet because I haven't been back for a little more than a month or so. But obviously, he's given me a lot of good advice.

“I try to do better every day. I think that's the mindset I'm always trying to do. I don't think too much about this and that.

“I’m only trying to focus on going on the training pitch every day and focus on becoming better. I know I've been in those moments a lot of times, even in the youth team or whatever. So I know what to do in these sort of moments.

“But obviously, it's a great start and I want to keep going.” On just a second start of the season, after recovering from a hamstring injury, it was a solid enough start from the young Dane, who admitted he faced a mental, as well as physical, challenge when he was injured in pre-season.

“I tried to focus on [the fact] that I'm very privileged to be a professional footballer,” he said.

“Obviously, there's downsides and upsides, and we get critics, but also sometimes we are superstars but all in all, I'm living the dream every day. I'm playing for Manchester United, and having the number nine on the back for Manchester United, it's a good life.

“I just tried to focus on that part, and also I could focus on everything else instead. Trying to be even fitter for when I come back, doing my recovery even better. I think I'm in a great spot right now.” 

The win was certainly sufficient to lift the pressure on ten Hag, for another few days at least, although Thursday’s Europa League trip to Jose Mourinho and Fenerbahce in the Europa League could change all that.

Ten Hag, himself, certainly remains defiant in the face of the criticism that has been poured his way and, in discussing another improved performance from Marcus Rashford, who set up Garnacho’s equaliser, even hinted at his team competing for honours this season.

“You always need fighting spirit and 100 per cent intensity, and not only from Marcus,” said ten Hag. “When we all bring this onto the pitch we have a team that can progress and play for trophies this season.” 

Man United (4-2-3-1): Onana 6; Dalot 5, de Ligt 5, Evans 7 (Lindelof 88), Martinez 6; Casemiro 7 (Ugarte 88), Eriksen 6; Garnacho 9 (Mazraoui 90), Fernandes 7, Rashford 7; Hojlund 7 (Zirkzee 73, 5). Substitutes (not used) Bayindir, Fletcher, Diallo, Wheatley, Antony.

Brentford (4-2-3-1): Flekken 5; van den Berg 6 (Roerslev 86), Collins 5, Pinnock 6, Ajer 6; Janelt 7 (Yarmoliuk 74, 5), Norgaard 5; Mbeumo 6, Damsgaard 6, Lewis-Potter 5 (Wissa 65, 5); Schade 7 (Carvalho 74, 5). Substitutes (not used) Konak, Mee, Meghoma, Trevitt, Vladimarsson.

Referee: S Barrott 6 Ends