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Manchester United traveled to the Vitality Stadium on Saturday to face a Bournemouth side who were level on points with them in the Premier League table. The Red Devils were looking to make it four wins on the road for the first time since the beginning of the year and had lost just once in the last five games in all competitions. Bournemouth, on the other hand, were without a win in their last five games, a period where they had three draws and two defeats.
Since the draw against Liverpool at home, United had defeated Partizan Belgrade in the Europa League, Norwich City in the Premier League and Chelsea in the Carabao Cup. Subsequently, the Red Devils had climbed up to 7th in the Premier League table and had momentum on their side in the build-up to the game against the Cherries. Solskjaer was looking forward to picking up another away win and he named his team accordingly.
Manchester United Starting XI: David De Gea; Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Victor Lindelof, Harry Maguire, Ashley Young; Scott McTominay, Fred, Andreas Pereira; Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial, Daniel James.
United started the game well but could not find a breakthrough despite their early pressure. It was the home side who took the lead through Joshua King in the 45th minute. After the break, United continued their search for the equalizer but failed to score, as the game ended 1-0 in Bournemouth’s favour. Here are the 5 men who were poor for the Red Devils and cost United the game.
#5 Anthony Martial
The Frenchman’s return from injury had coincided with United’s turn in fortunes of late. Solskjaer had used him carefully, easing him back into action, but had the opportunity of starting with him in the first eleven against Bournemouth. Anthony Martial was expected to carry forward his team but failed to have any impact on the game. The Frenchman looked a little off the pace and even his pressing in the final third looked half-hearted at times.
Martial did not cause the opposition defence too many worries and his positioning and movement in the box left a lot to be desired. The Frenchman’s inability to assert his influence on the game ultimately cost United.
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#4 Aaron Wan-Bissaka
The Englishman has been rock solid at the back for Manchester United since making the move in the summer. However, against Bournemouth, Aaron Wan-Bissaka looked a tad off-pace and struggled to find his footing in the game. He started as a part of the back four which had played together for quite a few games this season. Sadly, the Englishman was guilty of being overly cautious for the majority of the game and rarely ventured forward.
Wan-Bissaka continued to stay alert at the back, but he did not get too involved in the United attack. He failed to complement Daniel James, who stretched the opposition through the right and as a result, United lacked the wing play that could have opened up the compact Bournemouth backline. Wan-Bissaka was also culpable for the goal.
The Englishman failed to deal with Joshua King, affording him a lot of time on the box with the ball, and ultimately allowed him to turn and score.
#3 Ashley Young
The Manchester United skipper is not a popular choice among the fans and was expected to have minimal playing time this season. However, an injury to Luke Shaw has given Ashley Young a new lease of life and the Englishman has featured heavily in the last few weeks for United. Against Bournemouth too, Young started in the left-back role and had quite a poor game.
The Englishman was not proactive enough on the wings, which meant that Marcus Rashford did not get the support he deserved on the left side. Young was also caught out regularly when Bournemouth embarked on the counter and as a result, either of Victor Lindelof or Harry Maguire had to slide in to cover for him, leaving a gap in the heart of the backline. The Englishman did send in a few crosses from the wings, but they were not decisive enough.
As Solskjaer went for the kill in the final moments, Wan-Bissaka was replaced by Brandon Williams and Young shifted to the right-back role but failed to have an impact from the right as well.
#2 Andreas Pereira
The Brazilian’s importance in this Manchester United team has steadily increased in recent weeks. Andreas Pereira was rested by Solskjaer against Chelsea, perhaps in a bid to keep him fresh against Bournemouth. The Brazilian started in his preferred No. 10 role on Saturday, and actually had a good start to the game. Soon enough, though, the Brazilian fizzled out.
With the speed and technical prowess of the fast and fluid front three ahead of him, Pereira was expected to initiate moves and keep the opposition on their toes. Unfortunately, the Brazilian was poor with his passing and on quite a few occasions, promising moves were nipped in the bud due to his disappointing first touch. His final balls were also off the mark and as a result, United failed to create too many chances through the middle.
The Brazilian was also unimpressive with his pressing and regularly allowed the opposition to run past him at ease. After he was replaced by Lingard, United suddenly had greater urgency in the final third, but it was too little too late in the end.
#1 Victor Lindelof
The curious case of Victor Lindelof continues to baffle most United fans. The Swede was United’s best defender last season and was expected to hit a higher gear after the arrival of Harry Maguire. While that has failed to happen, Lindelof’s steady decline in form has shown no signs of slowing down. Against Bournemouth, he had another forgettable day at the office.
The Swede looked threatened by the movement and muscle of the Bournemouth forward line right from the start of the game. Lindelof was continuously dragged out of position by Callum Wilson and Joshua King and looked nervous every time the home team knocked at the door. He was outmuscled quite often on the pitch and his performance put undue pressure on his compatriots at the back. The Swede was also at fault for the goal.
When King received the ball in the box, it was Wan-Bissaka who was marking him, while Lindelof was glaringly out of position. The Swede failed to react and was caught ball watching as King had all the time in the world to bring the ball down, turn and score.
