Man United dressing room sent a warning by two teammates

Manchester United play Sunderland in the Premier League this weekend and the game is viewed as a must-win for Ruben Amorim.

Matthijs de Ligt was the only player to speak in the mixed zone after facing Brentford.

Manchester United's players were obviously disappointed as they headed for the team bus at the Gtech Community Stadium, but De Ligt took a few minutes to reflect on the game with reporters.

"Really disappointed because all week we were speaking about keeping the momentum going, getting another win under our belt and yeah, if you lose this game, it's a big blow, obviously," he said.

"Not a nice feeling, obviously. Everybody is really disappointed. I think first of all they are disappointed with themselves. The first thing you have to control is yourself. And if you can do that, you are first disappointed with yourself, and then also with the team and the whole result, so really disappointed."

When asked about what went wrong against Brentford, he responded: "We were short in key moments where we made the wrong decisions. That makes a big difference in football.

"I think obviously we were quite unlucky also with some chances, but yeah, overall it was not good enough. That's a fact. Then you know, against a team like Brentford who play on the transition, with long throw-ins and corner kicks, then it's going to be really difficult."

Speaking about the players taking responsibility, De Ligt said: "I mean it's always easy to look to the manager, but in the end, the players on the pitch have to do it. We can't say the goals we conceded, or the chances we conceded, are because of what... I don't know, you guys always talk about the system.

"That also has a lot to do with focus, concentration, and if that's lacking in key moments, it's going to make a difference. Against a Brentford team who plays like this, they will kill you."

De Ligt also spoke after the Manchester derby, answering a question on whether Ruben Amorim would be a success at United. “We have to prove it, otherwise it's no use," he said.

The Dutchman defended Amorim for the second time in the space of a few weeks after facing Brentford, stressing that the players must take responsibility and cut out mistakes.

Matheus Cunha did the same during his post-Brentford interview with TNT Sports, saying: "I don’t think the problem is the manager. We need to have character to change the situation.”

De Ligt and Cunha have let their teammates know more is needed. There are concerns over Amorim's tactics, but the players have been making amateur mistakes.

Altay Bayindir cost United on the opening day of the season against Arsenal, failing to deal with a corner, and he made another error against Burnley which made the game more difficult than it needed to be.

Bruno Fernandes failed to track Emile Smith Rowe's run into the box for Fulham's equaliser, and he committed the same error against Manchester City when he lost Phil Foden in the Manchester derby. Harry Maguire unsuccessfully tried to play the offside trap for Brentford's opening goal last weekend.

The fingers have been pointed at Amorim after an incredibly disappointing start to the season. There may be doubts over Amorim's system and his team selection, but the individual mistakes must stop.

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