Manchester United were held to a 4-4 draw by Bournemouth as the sloppiness of Ruben Amorim's side was there for all to see in a madcap game at Old Trafford on Monday night
Matheus Cunha and Casemiro of Manchester United appear dejected
Manchester United threw away leads vs Bournemouth(Image: Carl Recine/Getty Images)
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When Matheus Cunha restored his team’s lead deep into an exhilarating contest, Ruben Amorim was the calmest man inside a volcanic Old Trafford.
In fact, for a moment, he looked a little lost in thought. Perhaps he knew what was coming. Perhaps he knew his team is one that can always find new ways of NOT winning football matches.
On that score, they duly obliged and Amorim will be under renewed pressure after allowing Junior Kroupi to earn Bouremouth a point. In fact, Amorim had late Senne Lammens saves to thank for avoiding what would have been a humiliating loss.
This really was a hammer blow for United because with their reduced schedule and reasonable squad depth, this is a side that can have no excuses for not operating at full pelt in each and every Premier League fixture.
Coupled with the dip in the competition’s overall standard, that is why a top-four finishing position is there for the taking. Anything less should be unacceptable.
The intensity, muscularity and urgency shown in the first half of this contest should be standard for the rest of the season. Amorim also has resources to deal with the absence of Bryan Mbeumo and Diallo when the pair - along with Noussair Mazraoui - are on Africa Cup of Nations duty.
Not that United will not miss their contributions. Diallo nodded in from inches after a Diogo Dalot cross had caused confusion and that was his simplest piece of work.
Aside from that, his quick-footed trickery was always a threat to a Bournemouth side that looked a little surprised at United’s pacy directness.
: Antoine Semenyo of AFC Bournemouth scores
Antoine Semenyo scored Bournemouth's first goal at Old Trafford
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The home team had sent in a dozen efforts on goal before the away team had one. Mind you, Marcus Tavernier really should have buried his header rather than send it straight at Lammens. And one of the fundamental problems with this United team is its tendency to concede plenty of decent chances.
Indeed, after Antoine Semenyo had expertly drilled in an equaliser, Andoni Iraola’s side could easily have gone ahead but, instead, some poor goalkeeping from Djordje Petrovic allowed Casemiro to restore United’s lead with a regulation header.
But that penchant for affording the opposition opportunities was soon back in evidence, a clever but simple pass from Tavernier setting up a smart finish from Evanilson within a minute of the second half starting.
The inconsistency of this United side - and we are talking inconsistency within a single game - really is startling. As vibrant as they had been for the early stages of the first half, they were insipid for the early stages of the second half.
Matheus Cunha scores for Man Utd against Bournemouth
Manchester United couldn't hold on after Matheus Cunha's late effort
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After a sloppy pass from Bruno Fernandes, Tavernier ran half the length of the field before being found by Casemiro. And an elaborate defensive wall set-up fell apart when Tavernier took the free-kick and, suddenly, what had shaped up to be United’s best performance of the season saw them in arrears before the hour mark.
This, though, was a Bournemouth side who had taken just one point from their last five games. And their nervousness surfaced to allow United back into the lead. First, Bruno Fernandes curled in a beautiful free-kick and then Matheus Cunha gleefully tucked in United’s fourth.
But this really is a United team that finds fresh ways of not getting over the line and Kroupi duly slid home the final equaliser of a remarkable night.
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