A Night of Triumph and Controversy
In the dying minutes of a tense match at Old Trafford, Casemiro high-fived a fan behind the Manchester United goal before doing the same with several team-mates who came over to congratulate him on another crucial block. It was clear that Roy Keane was not pleased with the premature celebrations.
We were in the final moments of the game, and although United weren’t home and dry yet, they were close. When Chris Kavanagh blew the final whistle on a hard-fought battle against Brentford, Michael Carrick and his players knew they had done enough to secure their spot in the Champions League.
Another two points would do it for sure, but this felt like the night when United booked their place for next season. The victory ended Brentford’s chances of catching up, leaving only Brighton and Bournemouth as potential threats. However, it would take a collapse of Devon Loch proportions, as Sir Alex Ferguson might say, for United to miss out now.
Casemiro was instrumental in the win, scoring the opening goal with his ninth of the season and playing an immense role in keeping the lead. 
Twice towards the end, he used his experience to win free kicks in his own penalty box as Carrick’s side faced a late onslaught, fighting to keep Brentford out – even though Keane wouldn’t have appreciated the celebrations.
As the Brazilian left the pitch, the Stretford End serenaded him with a chorus of “One more year, one more year, Casemiro.” He won’t get one, of course. There will be two more appearances at Old Trafford before United say farewell to a player still in peak form at 34, but his £375,000-a-week salary is too rich for Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s blood.
If Ratcliffe isn’t prepared to make an exception for Casemiro, then he will surely have little choice with Bruno Fernandes. The United captain was the standout performer of the night. Senne Lammens and Kobbie Mainoo were excellent too, but Fernandes continues to press his claims for the Player of the Year award, driven by an incredible assist record this season.
He could have had a few more last night, but the one for Benjamin Sesko to score United’s second was Fernandes’ 19th of the season, just one behind the record held jointly by Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne. 
This will be another busy summer in the transfer market for United, but no piece of business will be as important as tying the Portugal star down to a new contract.
Fernandes has one year left on his current deal – and the club can extend it for another 12 months after that – but they are expected to open talks shortly with a player who so nearly left for Saudi Arabia last summer.
For all the individual highlights, this wasn’t a particularly convincing performance from United. They rode their luck at times against a spirited Brentford side who refused to go down without a fight and will justifiably still have aspirations of playing in Europe.
Match Facts and Ratings
Manchester United (4-2-3-1):
Lammens 7.5; Dalot 5.5, Maguire 7, Heaven 6, Shaw 6 (Yoro 73); Casemiro 7, Mainoo 7.5; Amad 6 (Mazraoui 46, 6), Fernandes 8, Mbeumo 5.5 (Mount 74); Sesko 6.5
Goals:
Casemiro (11), Sesko (43)
Booked:
Shaw
Head coach:
Michael Carrick 8
Brentford (4-2-3-1):
Kelleher 6.5; Kayode 6, Van den Berg 5, Collins 5.5, Lewis-Potter 7; Yarmoliuk 5.5, Jensen 6.5; Ouattara 6, Damsgaard 6, Schade 5 (Nelson 72); Igor Thiago 4
Goal:
Jensen (87)
Booked:
Van den Berg, Ouatarra, Igor Thiago
Head coach:
Keith Andrews 6
Referee:
Chris Kavanagh 6
But Champions League qualification was always the target, and Carrick looks to have delivered it. Will it be enough to land him the head coach’s job full-time? It appears to be his to lose now. He will want to finish strongly and hold onto third place to reinforce his claims. Let’s not forget that United were sixth and in the Champions League mix when they sacked Ruben Amorim in January, so optics are everything.
They led in the 11th minute after Fernandes twice released Bryan Mbeumo with fantastic through-balls to win a corner. On the first occasion, Fernandes delivered onto the head of Harry Maguire whose effort was two thirds of the way over the line when goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher brilliantly clawed it out again. When Fernandes crossed from the same corner of the pitch again, however, Maguire guided a header to the back post. Casemiro was waiting to rise above Dango Ouattara and nod the ball under the crossbar with Kelleher helpless to keep it out again. 
The worrying thing for United is that should have been the moment to take control of the game. Instead, it sparked Brentford into life as the two sides traded blows for the rest of the half. How Igor Thiago didn’t end it with a hat-trick, only he knows. Keane Lewis-Potter, Damsgaard and Mathias Jensen all presented the Brazilian with chances in front of goal, but he failed to convert due to the combined efforts of Lammens, Luke Shaw and Ayden Heaven.
When Damsgaard picked out another Thiago run and Heaven inadvertently forced Lammens into a superb save shortly before half-time, the shake of the head and smile from Brentford’s No 9 said it all. This simply wasn’t his night. Fernandes, on the other hand, was in his element. One great pass picked out Amad Diallo who headed straight at Kelleher, and another led to the Ivorian firing in off the far post from an offside position. When Diallo made a fantastic interception tackle on Kevin Schade in the 43rd minute to stop another Brentford attack in its tracks and set United on the counter, Fernandes had options right and left in Mbeumo and Sesko. He chose the latter with perfect timing and Sesko cut inside Nathan Collins before burying his shot.
Ouatarra headed against the post before Jensen finally beat Lammens with a marvellous effort from 20 yards in the 87th minute. But victory – and with it a Champions League place no doubt – belonged to United.
