Manchester United vs Brentford preview: Storylines, odds, prediction as the Red Devils look to right the balance

Soon they’ll be addressing Erik ten Hag as Houdini, as the beleaguered Manchester United manager certainly knows how to pull off an escape act. Ten Hag went into the international break with his head on the chopping block. Sir Jim Ratcliffe led United senior management to a seven-hour crisis meeting at the club’s plush Mayfair offices in London to discuss its future after the worst Premier League start in history. With nothing but silence following the crunch summit, the Dutchman now has to fight another day, starting with a home game against Brentford.

Ten Hag is still standing despite some humiliating results in the past and was retained this summer after Ratcliffe held talks with Thomas Tuchel, but the ground beneath him will shrink if his side are stung by the Bees on Saturday.

After five games without a win and just two wins in seven Premier League games, Ten Hag faces a series of crucial games that will likely determine his future. After Brentford, United have a trip to Fenerbache to face former United boss Jose Mourinho and then a trip to West Ham. United’s co-owners INEOS are said to take an “evidence-based approach” to any decision about its future. Make no mistake: Failing one of the next three games is all the evidence they need to swing the axe.

Tensions are already rising for ten Hag, who this week berated reporters, accusing them of “making up fairy tales and lies” while speculating he could lose his job.

This Brentford game is a must-win for many reasons and three points would be the perfect answer to the ongoing uncertainty. He is still haunted by a 4-0 defeat against Brentford in just his second Premier League game as Red Devils manager in 2022, but since then they have won two and one in their last three meetings against the London side remain undefeated.

United still have a number of absentees in the physio room, including long-term absentees Leny Yoro, Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia, as well as Harry Maguire, who suffered a foot injury in the draw at Aston Villa. However, Noussair Mazraoui is available despite a minor operation after suffering heart palpitations while on international duty with Morocco. This helps Ten Hag avoid a potential crisis at full-back, as Diogo Dalot has been the only recognized player in the position on either side so far. Alejandro Garnacho and Amad Diallo have trained despite missing international duty last week, although Kobbie Mainoo and Mason Mount remain injured.

As for Brentford, they are still waiting for some players to return to fitness, including strikers Igor Thiago, Joshua Dasilva, Mathias Jensen and Rico Henry. Yoane Wissa will be there for you.

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Manchester United vs Brentford odds

Venue: Old Trafford-Manchester
Time: 3:00 p.m. BST (10:00 a.m. ET), Saturday

Form Guide (league only)

Manchester United: 2-2-3, 8 points (14th); DLDWL
Brentford: 3-1-3, 10 points (11th); WDLLW

Match prediction

Manchester United 2-1 Brentford

Brentford will come to Old Trafford with confidence having secured an impressive 5-3 win over Wolves in their last game – which showcased the team’s attacking threat and defensive weaknesses that United were set out to expose.

Bryan Mbeumo is in the form of his life after scoring six goals in seven games and will be the dangerous man to watch out for. United have to be on their guard. The Bees have scored within the first two minutes of kick-off in their last four league games.

While Brentford may stun the home crowd at some point, I expect the Red Devils to rise above the criticism and achieve a positive result. Ten Hag is a survivor and if he can secure a Premier League win in four games it will give him a welcome reprieve from execution.

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(Photo by Marcus Rashford: Michael Regan / Getty Images)