9 hours ago
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From near-total control to collapse to late Bruno Fernandes and Matheus Cunha goals that seemed to put Manchester United on the right end of a 4-3 festive thriller. But then, yet more horrific defending allowed Eli Junior Kroupi, on as a substitute, to score Bournemouth’s third equaliser and the points were shared.
Fernandes’s strike was a pinpoint curled free-kick and Cunha’s finish came 120 seconds later when Benjamin Sesko’s cross from the left hit Adrien Truffert and diverted into the Brazilian’s path.
Before this, United were heading for Aston Villa on Sunday in a foul mood and staring at a miserable Christmas Day if another defeat followed. Instead, despite Kroupi’s intervention, a single defeat in 10 games is a run that speaks of United’s upward trajectory under Ruben Amorim, though their defending is amateurish.
His side have scored the same 30 goals as Arsenal yet conceded 26, the same as Fulham who are 14th, eight places lower.
This game’s charge sheet featured silly errors from Luke Shaw and Diogo Dalot, questionable Senne Lammens goalkeeping, and leaden-footed positioning by Ayden Heaven and Leny Yoro. Amorim claimed he does not need to bolster the defensive ranks so the onus is on him to improve the current ones. The plus is United’s forward play. Twelve minutes in and Amad Diallo began and finished a move.
Along the right he pinged the ball to Casemiro who relayed it to Dalot along the left. A diagonal pass was dropped into Bournemouth’s area, Cunha missed a header and the ball hit Djordje Petrovic, leaving the goalkeeper helpless to prevent the Ivorian nodding in from under the bar.
The strike was the culmination of a bright United phase. Now, the first bit of dubious backline work. Antoine Semenyo hurled a long throw high into United’s area that needed Casemiro’s aerial acumen to clear. Then, when Justin Kluivert popped up on the right, a delivery picked out Marcus Tavernier whose close-range header was beaten out by Lammens before the ball went to safety.
Amorim’s setup was interesting, considering the hue and cry over his 3-4-3. Intrigue came in the warm-up when United had a quartet of defenders in luminous bibs. Was the head coach finally to send out a back four of Dalot, Leny Yoro, Ayden Heaven, and Shaw? The answer was no as Diallo then donned a bib. Yet while United defended in a five, when attacking, the No 16 pushed ahead to leave a four.
Diallo enjoyed himself before jetting off to join up with Ivory Coast at the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco. A zigzag run took him into the area, before being thwarted by Adam Smith. And, next, a moment of fantasy that was a throwback to the great United sides. A no-look Cunha cross swerved on to the boot of a flying Bryan Mbeumo, whose volley came agonisingly close to thundering home.
United were pummelling Bournemouth and still they conceded. Shaw was bullied by Kluivert on United’s left touchline. Smith fed Semenyo and, 40 yards out, he dashed in and beat Lammens, shooting across the keeper, into the corner. Shaw was as furious with himself as Amorim surely was.
Then came a Dalot-Semenyo flareup. The former shoved the latter over, backing in when the Ghana international was mid-air – so the forward grabbed his throat. Each was booked for their pains. The half ended sweetly for United. Fernandes’s corner from the left was headed in by Casemiro, past Petrovic’s powder-puff hands – and Shaw had an equal in the culprit stakes.
Bournemouth’s second equaliser was due, in part, to Yoro and Heaven whose defending was lax, plus a killer Tavernier pass that split the youngsters, and a cool Evanilson finish, who rolled the ball beyond the stationary Lammens – to his left.
If this left Amorim visibly stunned, further uncertain play – from Dalot – ceded possession and presaged Tavernier’s goal. The defender lost the ball and United were turned as he raced at goal, so Casemiro felled him. The Englishman’s free-kick was drilled past a United wall that had Cunha and Fernandes to the side and this error was compounded by Lammens, who allowed the ball to pass him down low.
United needed to locate some of the backbone Amorim likes to say they have. His team had allowed their grip to be loosened far too easily and on the hour, to a raucous cheer, the manager introduced Kobbie Mainoo for Casemiro. Could the 20-year-old, barely trusted by Amorim, help pull the contest from the fire? United did revive, Mbeumo, Mason Mount, Cunha and Fernandes all threatening.
Amorim sent for Sesko and the No 9 from Slovenia, who has had an injury-hit season, wished the ball fell to him when Mbeumo blasted over. Now came the helter-skelter ending.
The bottom line for United is a need for defensive solidity. Amorim’s system is supposed to give this but is just not doing so. Time for a rethink, Ruben? Of the injured Tyler Adams, Andoni Iraola said: “Its a twisted knee – we have to see.”
