Ruben Amorim sees Brentford game as ‘massive’ as Man Utd bid to build momentum

By Simon Peach, PA Chief Football Writer

Ruben Amorim believes Manchester United will have a “big problem” if they cannot build momentum as his side look to end their long wait to win back-to-back Premier League matches by beating Brentford.

Last season was a campaign to forget for the Red Devils, who stumbled home 15th – their lowest top-flight finish in 51 years – and failed to win consecutive league matches.

United have the chance to do that in the same campaign for the first time since May 2024 at Brentford on Saturday as Amorim’s men attempt to build on last weekend’s chaotic 2-1 win against Chelsea.

“I think it’s going to help us,” the United boss said. “I know that for people outside the club it’s not a big thing (to achieve).

“It should not be a big thing in Manchester United, but I think it’s going to help us a lot (if we do it).

“It’s not about playing well, it’s the way we are going to do the warm-up and the preparation, and if we are excited to go to the game, like we are sometimes when we are in the limit and we have to win some games.

“If we have always that feeling, I think it’s going to be massive for us, so it’s massive to win this game.”

Amorim made that message clear to his players immediately after last Saturday’s victory against Chelsea and continued to underline the need to end that long wait “everywhere”.

“I think if we as a team don’t understand the momentum now, we have a big problem,” he said.

It's massive to win this gameRuben Amorim

“So, again, anything could happen in a game, especially in Premier League and you can see (that) in every game.

“But the feeling in the first minutes is really important, so, for me, since we start the first training, we start talking about that.

“We need to understand the momentum of the club, the opportunity that we have to win the next game, so it’s on us and the responsibility is on us.”

Amorim is still waiting to see United reach their potential but he now goes into games with “more excitement than fear” having admitted he knew they would struggle at times last season.

A key reason for that positivity is the summer addition of proven goalscorers Benjamin Sesko, Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo.

The latter returns to his old stomping ground on Saturday for the first time since joining United in deal rising to £71million.

The Red Devils were irked by the protracted talks with Brentford, who Mbeumo helped inflict a 4-3 loss on Amorim’s side when they met in west London in May.

“It was not that performance (that convinced me to sign Mbeumo),” the Red Devils boss said. “But it helped me to understand that he’s a very good player not with the ball, without the ball.

“When you see that live, it’s completely different. When you see a guy doing that with all due respect it’s not because it’s Manchester United, he was in Brentford. He was sometimes defending as a right-back. That was really important to have that feeling live.

“And if I’m the manager or the owner of Brentford I will do the same to keep the best players and try to sell the best players for big amounts, so I completely understand that situation.”

Amad Diallo misses the trip to Brentford due to a family bereavement. Noussair Mazraoui and Lisandro Martinez are out through injury, while Casemiro is suspended. Diogo Dalot returns to the fold.