In pictures: Man Utd v Bournemouth
Manchester United were put to the sword by Bournemouth on a shocking afternoon for Erik ten Hag and his players at Old Trafford. Goals from Dominic Solanke, Philip Billing and Marcos Senesi condemned the Red Devils to a hugely disappointing defeat, with the home fans understandably left furious after yet another desperately poor showing from their team. Express Sport takes a look at the biggest talking points from today’s game at Old Trafford…
Amrabat fails to justify selection
Sofyan Amrabat was chosen to start in midfield but was unable to display the form he showed at last year’s World Cup that initially sparked United’s interest in him. The 27-year-old’s positioning left the Red Devils at the mercy of some slick transitions from Bournemouth, who had plenty of chances after finding success in playing through the middle.
Amrabat’s muted performance came just days after his impressive showing in United’s win over Chelsea, during which he was among his side’s best players. Ten Hag will certainly be hoping for Amrabat to find some consistency over the next few weeks in order to show what he is truly capable of at Old Trafford.
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Misfiring duo leave United vulnerable
Amrabat was not helped much by Scott McTominay and Bruno Fernandes, who often left him vulnerable by forcing him to operate in isolation. They failed to stay close enough to Amrabat when United were in possession, forcing the Morocco international to pass to a defender rather than moving the ball up the pitch in a positive way.
United’s lack of cohesion in the engine room played a major role in allowing Bournemouth to register seven first-half shots despite having just 27 per cent of possession. It will be an area of concern for Ten Hag but a lack of fit alternatives could see his hands tied when it comes to experimenting with his midfield trio.
Martial shown up by Solanke
Solanke’s brilliant showing at Old Trafford was totally at odds with that of Anthony Martial, who did next to nothing before he was hooked just 10 minutes into the second half. The Bournemouth striker opened the scoring with a fine finish after just a few minutes and could easily have had another before the break if he had not been denied by the post.
His imposing presence and knack of taking chances would make him a clear upgrade on Martial if United decide to sign a new striker in the January transfer window. The Red Devils have struggled up top in recent months and could really do with a player like Solanke to provide a regular source of goals, with the 26-year-old now on eight for the season.
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Dalot decision haunts United
Diogo Dalot felt the wrath of a furious Rasmus Hojlund in the second half when he fired a speculative effort into the side netting. United might just have equalised if Dalot had squared it to his team-mate, who was totally unmarked in the middle of the box.
It came back to haunt the Red Devils just moments later when Bournemouth went down the other end and doubled their lead through Billing, who rose highest to head past Andre Onana from close range. It seems that little progress is being made regarding United’s poor decision-making this season, as shown by Dalot’s insistence on shooting rather than passing to Hojlund at a crucial point in the match.
Pressure mounts on Ten Hag
The result against Bournemouth will undoubtedly spark renewed conversations about Ten Hag’s immediate future at United. The Dutchman recently scooped the Premier League’s Manager of the Month award for November but was unable to inspire his players when it came to facing the Cherries.
Ten Hag chose to avoid making any changes at half-time when it was clear they were desperately needed, while United’s lack of defensive prowess showed that plenty of work still needs to be done to get them firing on all cylinders.
Performances like that will do very little to justify Ten Hag’s position if they continue, with the home fans showing their disgust by erupting into a chorus of boos at the full-time whistle.
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