Manchester United travelled to the Vitality Stadium to take on Bournemouth in the 17:30 BST Saturday Premier League clash.
Erik ten Hag named an unchanged starting XI from the one that held Liverpool to a 2-2 draw a week ago. Andre Onana started in goal with a defensive four of Diogo Dalot, Willy Kambwala, Harry Maguire and Aaron Wan-Bissaka ahead of him.
Casemiro, Kobbie Mainoo and Bruno Fernandes were deployed in the middle of the park. Rasmus Hojlund led the line with Alejandro Garnacho and Marcus Rashford on either side of him. Here are three things we learned from Manchester United’s 2-2 draw against Bournemouth.
Shambolic defending from United
United headed into the break a goal down and with the score at 2-1 in the Cherries favour. In truth, the Red Devils were lucky to still have been in the game considering the sheer amount of clear-cut chances that Bournemouth failed to convert.
Bournemouth registered 12 shots at Onana’s goal and most of them were excellent goalscoring opportunities. It seemed that every time they went forward and attacked United, they found it very easy to cut through the backline and test Onana.
Indeed, both goals scored by Andoni Iraola’s men came about as a result of some pitiful defending from United. Dominic Solanke shed first blood just 16 minutes into proceedings when he capitalised on a number of mistakes from United.
Garnacho casually lost the ball and failed to get back to provide defensive cover. The ball found its way to Solanke, who only had Kambwala. The centre-back lost his footing, giving Solanke the space and time to pick his spot. The England striker made no mistake as he fired the ball into the back of the net for his 17th goal of the Premier League season.
United fought back and against the run of play, restored parity via Fernandes who volleyed his effort past the reach of Neto.
However, as has been the case for large parts of the campaign, Ten Hag’s side couldn’t build on the momentum and conceded soon after – this time five minutes after grabbing the equaliser. Bournemouth produced two line-breaking passes in midfield as they took advantage of just how sluggish United were in closing down the spaces. An unmarked Justin Kluivert found himself inside the box with amateurish space. The 24-year-old squeezed his shot into the bottom-left corner. Onana should have arguably done better and should have certainly not been beaten at his near post.
The most shocking thing about Bournemouth’s second goal and how it came to be is that the Cherries didn’t really have to break a sweat to get in. Even Kluivert himself would have been confused with just how much space and time they left him to work with.
Beyond the Reds’ poor defending, they just seemed lethargic and bereft of any ideas. The players were unable to keep hold of the ball and sustain meaningful spells of pressure and possession that would have given Bournemouth one or two issues to think about.
Going forward, United looked bereft of any ideas and any little attacking impetus seemed rushed and speculative at best. In conclusion, it was the typical performance fans grown accustomed to under Ten Hag this season.
Garnacho and Mainoo burnout concerns
Another theme that was noticeable in the match vs. Bournemouth was just how tired Garnacho and Mainoo seemed. This has been the case for some time now and it reared its ugly head once again.
Garnacho and Mainoo have this season taken massive strides in their respective United careers and have quickly become two of Ten Hag’s trusted lieutenants. Garnacho in particular has started more than 30 consecutive games for the 20-time English champions across all competitions. Mainoo on the other hand made his 24th appearance across all competitions. Since he came back into the team late last year, he has been an almost guaranteed presence in the manager’s starting XI selections.
The academy duo was not at their sensational best at the Vitality Stadium and considering the minutes they’ve been racking up in recent weeks, it’s not very surprising that fatigue and burnout seem to have caught up with them.
On more than one occasion, Mainoo was caught in possession as he held on to the ball for one or two seconds longer – very uncharacteristic of him to say the least. Not to say that the 18-year-old was poor but he wasn’t as sharp as he usually is. Mainoo still did well and outshone most of his senior and more experienced teammates. In fact, he’s the one who won a penalty just after the hour mark that drew United level. Mainoo’s shot took a deflection and hit Adam Smith’s hand, giving the referee no choice but to award a penalty. Fernandes scored from the ensuing spot-kick.
Garnacho on the other hand appeared to be finding it difficult to execute his defensive responsibilities. One thing that cannot be questioned about the Argentine is his work rate but against Bournemouth, he lacked the edge and tenacity that usually highlight his play. Garnacho was taken off at half-time and replaced by Amad Diallo who took his position on the right wing.
It’s important to note that both Garnacho and Mainoo are still teenagers and while their talent is undeniable, their workload must be carefully managed to keep them continuously fresh and fit.
Amad and Mason Mount deserve a bigger role in the team
Amad played the second period of the game following Garnacho’s substitution and during the time he was on the pitch, the Ivorian was good and showed the kind of impact he can have if afforded more minutes.
The winger was very neat and tidy on the ball and gave United some much-needed composure in the final third.
His passing was measured and accurate. Often, United have been slammed for being too frantic in their actions but Amad was the polar opposite to this. When required, he slowed the game down and helped knit the attack together.
Before the Bournemouth game, the 21-year-old only had 46 minutes of top-flight action to his name this season. It’s scandalous that he hasn’t been used more this term considering his valuable skill set and what he brings to the side.
Another player whose situation closely mirrors Amad’s is Mason Mount. The English midfielder came on in the 78th minute for Mainoo – a surprise personnel change considering Casemiro was yet again United’s poorest player on the pitch and it would have Ten Hag would have been best served by doing away with the Brazilian.
Mount was Ten Hag’s marquee summer signing but he has been used very sparingly when available although admittedly, his maiden season at Old Trafford has been disrupted by injuries.
In recent games when he has been thrust into the action, Mount has been a breath of fresh air. It’s puzzling that he’s not playing more during a period in which Casemiro continues to be a liability for United in midfield.
Both he and Amad need more chances if United are to finish the season strong and hold off their rapidly approaching rivals.
Want to be the first to hear breaking Man United news? For carefully selected, crucial updates, join our WhatsApp channel: https://bit.ly/United-Breaking-News.
