Manchester, October 1, 2025 – Bryan Mbeumo, Manchester United’s £71 million summer sensation from Brentford, issued a stark wake-up call to his underperforming teammates in an exclusive Sky Sports News interview on Tuesday, insisting the players – not beleaguered boss Rúben Amorim – bear the brunt of the club’s dismal start to the season. With just two Premier League wins from six games and a humiliating Carabao Cup exit to League Two minnows Grimsby Town on penalties, United languish in 14th place, seven points adrift of the top four and staring down the barrel of another trophyless campaign. Mbeumo’s words, delivered amid mounting calls for Amorim’s sacking, have only intensified the pressure cooker at Old Trafford.
“Obviously disappointed with the result [against Brentford], I had a warm welcome back from the fans and I will never forget that,” the 26-year-old Cameroonian forward reflected, referencing Saturday’s 3-1 humbling at his old stomping ground – a match where he started alongside flashy new arrivals Benjamin Šeško and Matheus Cunha for the first time, only for the trio to be outshone by ex-Bees striker Ivan Toney’s brace.e00186 “I think everyone in the team needs to take responsibility. When you play in a club this big, everyone needs to know what to do – as a team, we need to do better.” Mbeumo, who notched nine goals for Brentford last term but has mustered just one assist in United colors so far, pulled no punches, shifting the spotlight from Amorim’s tactical tweaks to the squad’s execution. “It’s not the same [pressure] as at Brentford, but the only thing we want to be focused on is ourselves. We just try to listen to what’s going on inside.”
The interview, conducted at Carrington, comes at a nadir for Amorim, the Portuguese tactician poached from Sporting CP in a £10 million compensation deal last November. Appointed to inject flair into Erik ten Hag’s remnants, his high-line 3-4-3 has backfired spectacularly: United have shipped 11 goals in the league, with defensive lapses – including Bruno Fernandes’ two missed penalties and a red card against Fulham – compounding the chaos.dcd88e Pundit Jamie Carragher didn’t mince words on Monday Night Football, branding the appointment a “disaster” and urging: “It has to end.”556df9 Wayne Rooney, meanwhile, has emerged as a shock frontrunner to replace him, per bookies’ odds slashed to 3/1 after his Plymouth success.2cdb9d Yet Mbeumo, ever the diplomat, rallied behind Fernandes amid his penalty woes: “It’s important to support him because this is what he’s doing every time. He gives us a lot, and it’s good for him to have us as well.”0ff6bb He even defended Amorim’s vision, hinting at silver linings in the new attacking unit: “That was the moment we’ve been waiting for – Šeško, Cunha, and me linking up. It’s early, but we can click.”
United’s woes trace back to a chaotic summer: Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s INEOS overhaul saw £250 million splashed on Mbeumo, Šeško (£55m from RB Leipzig), Cunha (£63m from Wolves), and full-back Vanderson (£45m from Monaco), yet cohesion remains elusive. The Grimsby debacle – where Mbeumo’s saved spot-kick sealed a 4-3 shootout loss – drew scathing memes online, with #MbeumoMiss trending and fans chanting “You’re getting sacked in the morning” at Amorim during the Brentford rout.4fd6d1 X exploded post-interview: “Mbeumo calling out the dressing room? About time – Fernandes and Rashford need to lead, not leak goals,” fired @ManUtdMEN, netting 32k likes.9bce47 Rivals gloated: Arsenal’s official account posted a sly “Responsibility? Try trophies” quip alongside their table-topping graphic.
Amorim, 40, responded defiantly in his pre-Sunderland presser: “Bryan’s right – accountability starts with me, but the players must deliver. We’ve created chances [28 shots vs. Brentford], but finishing? Unacceptable.” The Black Cats clash at Old Trafford on Saturday looms as a must-win, with a loss potentially accelerating boardroom moves – sources whisper Ratcliffe eyes a “shock Klopp-style hire” if results sour further.a39c53 Mbeumo, unfazed by the glare he’s unaccustomed to, signed off optimistically: “This club’s massive – we turn it around together.” As the Red Devils lick wounds from a 3-1 Champions League slip to RB Leipzig midweek, his plea echoes: responsibility isn’t Amorim’s burden alone. In the Theatre of Dreams turned nightmares, it’s the players who must awaken – or risk the dream shattering entirely.
