Exclusive: Former Man United Star Reacts to ‘Hugely Important’ Brentford Victory | OneFootball

Former Man United Star Reacts to ‘Hugely Important’ Brentford Victory

All eyes were on Erik Ten Hag as Manchester United welcomed Brentford to Old Trafford on Saturday, with the Red Devils ultimately coming out as 2-1 winners in that one. The crucial victory comes off the back of an intense international break for the Dutch head coach, with many expecting the Manchester United hierarchy to opt for a replacement after a poor run of results.

Speaking exclusively to EPL Index, former Manchester United defender Wes Brown emphasised the importance of the victory over Brentford and took a look ahead to what the season could still hold for the Red Devils…

“We Needed to Win!”

“It was definitely a game that we needed to win,” began Brown. Despite the importance of the game, it was another slow start for United as Brentford went into half-time in the lead, thanks to Ethan Pinnock’s header in added time. “Their heads could’ve easily dropped when Brentford took the lead,” pointed out Brown, “but overall, it was a very good performance. It was a hugely important win.”

Many times this season, we have seen Manchester United struggle to get back into games after conceding but perhaps the second half response, which saw Alejandro Garnacho and Rasmus Hojlund turn the game around, speaks volumes of the faith that the players still have in Ten Hag. However, some would wonder where that fighting spirit has been over the past couple of months, when the side have really been struggling.

Photo: IMAGO

This “hugely important win” could hand Ten Hag a lifeline, but there’s still a long way to go before he can really win back the full support of the fanbase.

Looking Ahead

Manchester United now travel to Fenerbahce on Thursday, in search of their first UEFA Europa League victory of the season after draws with FC Twente and FC Porto. After that, the Red Devils travel to London to face West Ham United in the Premier League on Sunday, where a victory would send them straight back into the conversation in the fight for European football next season, which Brown still thinks is a realistic target despite the slow start.

Photo: IMAGO

“I put us third at the start of the season!” joked Brown. “We just need to get some good wins and really target the top four, that’s the main thing but it’s going to be difficult.”

Whether it’s underneath the guidance of Ten Hag, or not, there’s undoubtedly still lots of potential to be unlocked within this Man United squad and the fans will be hoping that it comes to fruition sooner rather than later.