Several failed to hide their disappointment as Manchester United, while rampant in attack, could not contain Bournemouth on Monday night, as they were held to a frantic 4-4 draw by Bournemouth.
Neville tells Amorim to “forget” system in “stunning” draw
If there was ever a way to make up for Man United’s lack of goals in their last two Old Trafford appearances, 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 was not a game met with boos, it was one met with optimism at full-time.
Old Trafford legend and Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville shared that optimism, saying on Monday Night Football: “It was a stunning watch. I was really critical after the Everton and West Ham games because of just the nature of the performance. I thought it was really bland.
“This was the complete and utter opposite. I can live with that all day long in terms of a performance and a standard because they played with real intent, played the ball forward, always played at full pace.
“When United went 3-2 down, Ruben Amorim then went to 4-4-2 and did the right thing. Forget the system, he did the right thing. He got the right players on the pitch and were a massive threat.”
It was a particularly good night for Matheus Cunha, who scored just his second goal for the club since arriving for around £63m from Wolverhampton Wanderers in the summer. It was a deserved strike for another dogged display from the Brazilian in front of his new home fans.
The same can’t be said for Bryan Mbeumo, however, who faced criticism from several United media personalities on Monday night.
Mbeumo frustrates during Bournemouth draw
Whilst fellow attacker Cunha set Old Trafford alight, Mbeumo was hugely frustrating. He missed several wonderful opportunities, notably firing a volley over the bar from inside the area in the first half and then sending a wild effort over from just a matter of yards out in the second half. For those efforts, he was criticised by The Sun’s Samuel Luckhurst who bemoaned the player’s “wayward” finishing while United YouTuber Alice Talks Footy who simply said that he was “playing with [Alejandro] Garnacho’s finishing”.
Furthermore, he took fewer touches than Ayden Heaven and recorded an XG of 0.48 despite taking four shots. For his recent standards, it was a disappointing display.
|
Mbeumo vs Bournemouth |
|
|---|---|
|
Minutes played |
89′ |
|
Goals |
0 |
|
Assists |
0 |
|
Touches |
43 |
|
Possession lost |
9x |
|
Shots (on target) |
4 (2) |
|
Accurate passes |
21/27 (78%) |
|
Chances created |
2 |
|
Dribbles |
0/2 |
|
Recoveries |
1 |
|
Tackles |
0/1 |
|
Duels won |
5/13 |
|
Data via Sofascore |
|
What should be most alarming for Amorim is that it’s now one goal in five Premier League games for his £150,000-a-week forward, who is now heading to AFCON off the back of a frustrating display.
Dalot upgrade: Man Utd looking to sign “the best right wing back in the PL”
INEOS are ready to add some quality to Man United’s ranks this January.
Man United’s attack has been improved, there’s no doubting that, but there’s also no denying that they’re yet to see Mbeumo, Cunha and Benjamin Sesko click as a front three and that must change after AFCON.
