BROKEN HOME
United’s fortunes have fallen at former fortress
MANCHESTER UNITED players will perform the traditional circuit of the Old Trafford pitch after tonight’s final home game against Brentford to “show their appreciation” to supporters.
While they hope it will be more lap of honour than walk of shame, they are said to be braced for plenty to voice frustration at them and the owners after another underwhelming campaign.
Even if they make it a three-point finale – making it 10 wins – there is no getting away from a record that continues an ongoing slump in their home fortunes.
If Old Trafford used to be intimidating for opposition, just 10 wins out of 19 and 35 points would be another poor return from a place that now seems to intimidate those in the red shirts more than the visitors.This has been a home slump nine years in the making and a drop-off from the final six seasons of Alex Ferguson’s reign, in each of which United enjoyed at least 15 victories and a minimum of 47 points at home.
Since then, just two seasons – 14 wins and 44 points for Louis van Gaal in his first term in 2014-15 and 15 wins and 47 points for Jose Mourinho in his second in 2017-18 – have bucked a trend which has made the opposition look forward to trips to M16.
Even if Ralf Rangnick’s men sign off with a win tonight giving them those 10 wins, this will be the fourth consecutive season when they have won no more than 10 out of 19 home games. More worryingly for incoming manager Erik ten Hag is a fourth consecutive points haul of less than 37 out of a possible 57.
The Dutchman has a mountain of tasks already sitting in his in-tray but making Old Trafford a fortress again needs to be high on his priority list.
It will be a help to him that perhaps as many as 10 of the squad walking around the pitch tonight will not be around to carry baggage into his debut campaign.
But turning around fortunes at home is not going to be a quick fix for the new man.
Brentford could prove more difficult opposition for United than they might have been at a different stage of the season.
They are unbeaten in four, have five wins in their past seven Premier League games, including victories at Chelsea and Watford, and drew with Spurs in their most recent game.
United will fancy their chances of a restorative victory to ensure that a fifth home game does not go the way of defeats by Aston Villa, Liverpool, Manchester City and Wolves in this campaign.
There is another protest planned before the match, just as there was before Chelsea last week.
Fans have been asked by one supporters group to leave their seats in the 73rd minute – missing 17 minutes of the game to mark one minute for every year of the Glazer family ownership.
If they do at least they will not be around to boo at full-time, which could be a blessing in disguise for Rangnick and his men.
MAN UTD (probable): De Gea; Dalot, Lindelof, Varane, Telles; Matic, McTominay; Rashford, Fernandes, Elanga; Ronaldo.
BRENTFORD (probable): Raya: Roerslev, Jansson, Sorensen; Ajer, Jensen, Janelt, Eriksen, Henry; Mbeumo, Toney.