Manchester United suffered another crushing defeat at Old Trafford on Sunday as they lost 3-0 to Bournemouth in the latest performance that indicated there will be no quick fixes for the Red Devils, even under new management.
In some ways the match against Bournemouth played out like United’s EFL Cup defeat to Tottenham Hotspur just three days earlier: the Red Devils controlled possession and outwitted the opposition. But in the end, none of that mattered much as Bournemouth were able to take advantage of United’s shaky defense. The visitors took the lead in the 29th minute thanks to a goal from a set piece by 19-year-old Dean Huijsen, while things went from bad to worse in the second half when Justin Kluivert and Antoine Semenyo scored within two minutes of each other. other.
United have now conceded eighteen goals in all competitions since manager Ruben Amorim took charge a month ago. He currently concedes more goals on average than Erik Ten Hag in thirteen games before he was fired in October. Sunday’s 3-0 defeat is part of a worrying long-term trend at United, who finished with a negative goal difference after conceding 58 goals in the league last season and conceding more shots than most teams in Europe. The defense clearly hasn’t improved this season, meaning United join Southampton as one of only two teams in the Premier League to lose two games by three goals or more this season.
The Red Devils look completely disorganized at the back more often than not, regardless of the manager. This is also evident from the goals conceded against Bournemouth, from an unnecessary penalty to Huijsen’s goal in the first half. His goal marked the seventeenth time United have conceded a goal in league play in 2024. per Optatheir highest total ever in a calendar year.
United’s problems at the back are not helped by the fact that their attack is also struggling. Although they are averaging about the same number of expected goals this season as last time, they are only averaging 1.2 goals per game in the league, compared to 1.5 last season. The attacking problems were on full display on Sunday when they took 13 shots but put only three on target, while Bournemouth put five of their eight on frame. The same was true against Spurs on Thursday, when United put just five of their 20 shots on target, while their opponents had six of their nine on target. However, the Cherries also surpassed United in terms of expected goals, 1.78 to 1.32.
Although they received a confidence boost from their surprise 2-1 win over Manchester City a week ago, the past week alone provided several reminders of the long road ahead for the Red Devils. While Spurs’ 4-3 win on Thursday was emblematic of an up-and-down season for the north Londoners, it was still a positive progress report for Ange Postecoglou’s side, whose identity is intact and should find more consistency as soon as their defensive injury crisis allows. upwards. Sunday’s result, meanwhile, was a huge vote of confidence for Bournemouth, who now sit in fifth place and are just three points shy of a top-four spot. Their ambitious rebuild under manager Andoni Iraola makes them a team to watch, especially during a season where, as it stands, just eight points separate fourth and twelfth place.
United could still find a way to correct course under Amorim, although with this version of the team, doing so quickly should be out of the question, even if the new manager is one of the game’s rising stars. However, Sunday’s loss to Bournemouth means United will have to watch another team pass as they battle for consistency in their post-Alex Ferguson era. The Cherries are a stark example of what United is not: a functioning club with a clear vision, from top to bottom.
The Red Devils’ mismanagement of more than a decade has left them in this sorry state, be it through hiring the wrong managers or doing the wrong contracts. Even if United make good decisions, and Amorim’s appointment could be just in time, the club’s senior players cannot resist the urge to create a new form of unrest. While Amorim exercises managerial authority over Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho, the former likely on his way out, the departure of sporting director Dan Ashworth raises new questions about the club’s future player recruitment. The inability to create stability, now the job of minority investor Jim Ratcliffe, means that Amorim’s responsibility to build a winning team could be fraught with manufactured obstacles, in some ways much like its predecessors.
It is not an impossible task for United to get out of this hole. Whether or not this club manages to do this without unnecessary challenges is another story.