{"id":298847,"date":"2023-12-09T17:24:34","date_gmt":"2023-12-09T17:24:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportslifetale.com\/?p=298847"},"modified":"2023-12-09T17:24:34","modified_gmt":"2023-12-09T17:24:34","slug":"man-utd-trio-let-down-erik-ten-hag-as-martial-shown-up-in-dire-bournemouth-loss","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportslifetale.com\/soccer\/man-utd-trio-let-down-erik-ten-hag-as-martial-shown-up-in-dire-bournemouth-loss\/","title":{"rendered":"Man Utd trio let down Erik ten Hag as Martial shown up in dire Bournemouth loss"},"content":{"rendered":"

In pictures: Man Utd v Bournemouth<\/h3>\n

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<\/em> takes a look at the biggest talking points from today’s game at Old Trafford…<\/p>\n

Amrabat fails to justify selection<\/h3>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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Misfiring duo leave United vulnerable<\/h3>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Martial shown up by Solanke<\/h3>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n