Many failed to hide their disappointment as Manchester United, although rampant in attack, were unable to contain Bournemouth on Monday night, as they were held to a 4-4 draw by Bournemouth.
Neville tells Amorim to ‘forget’ the system during a ‘superb’ draw
If there was a way to make up for Man United’s lack of goals in their last two appearances at Old Trafford, it was with four against Bournemouth. The only problem was that the Cherries also managed to find the back of the net four times to create one of the games of the season on Monday night.
There were several positive signs for the Red Devils even after dropping more points at home. This wasn’t a game that sparked boos, it was a game that sparked optimism at full time.
Old Trafford legend and Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville shared the optimism, saying on Monday Night Football: “It was a stunning watch. I was really critical after the Everton and West Ham games because of the nature of the performance. I thought it was really bland.
“It was the complete opposite. I can live with that all day in terms of performance and level because they played with real intention, played the ball forward, always played at full pace.
“When United lost 3-2, Ruben Amorim then switched to 4-4-2 and did the right thing. Forget the system, he did the right thing. He put the right players on the pitch and was a huge threat.”
It was a particularly good night for Matheus Cunha, who scored only his second goal for the club since arriving for around £63 million from Wolverhampton Wanderers in the summer. It was a deserved strike for another fierce display from the Brazilian in front of his new home fans.
The same cannot be said for Bryan Mbeumo, however, who faced criticism from several United media figures on Monday evening.
Mbeumo frustrated in Bournemouth draw
While his compatriot Cunha set Old Trafford on fire, Mbeumo was extremely frustrating. He missed several wonderful chances, including firing a volley over the bar from inside the box in the first half and then sending a wild effort just yards out in the second half. For these efforts he was criticized by The Sun’s Samuel Luckhurst who bemoaned the player’s “wayward” finishing while United YouTuber Alice Talks Footy simply said he was “playing with [Alejandro] Finishing the Garnacho”.
Additionally, he took fewer touches than Ayden Heaven and recorded an XG of 0.48 despite taking four shots. By his recent standards, it was a disappointing performance.
|
Mbeumo v Bournemouth |
|
|---|---|
|
Minutes played |
89′ |
|
Goals |
0 |
|
Aids |
0 |
|
Keys |
43 |
|
Lost possession |
9x |
|
Shots (on target) |
4 (2) |
|
Precise passes |
21/27 (78%) |
|
Opportunities created |
2 |
|
Dribbling |
0/2 |
|
Recoveries |
1 |
|
Tackles |
0/1 |
|
Duels won |
5/13 |
|
Data via Sofascore |
|
What should be most alarming for Amorim is that it is now one goal in five Premier League games for his £150,000-a-week striker, who now heads to the AFCON after a frustrating display.
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Man United’s attack has been improved, there is no doubt about that, but there is also no denying that they are yet to see Mbeumo, Cunha and Benjamin Sesko crack the top three and that needs to change after the AFCON.
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