Manchester United have come a long way since last season’s bore draw away at Bournemouth.
The 2024/25 season was a miserable one for Manchester United. And there are many games we just scrubbed from our memory. One of these was the 1-1 draw away at Bournemouth.
What do you genuinely remember about the game?
United salvaged a point in the sixth minute of stoppage time with a rare goal from Rasmus Hojlund, after Antoine Semenyo had put Bournemouth 1-0 up.
What the game showed from a United perspective was just how wasteful Ruben Amorim’s side were, failing to take advantage of a Bournemouth side reduced to 10 men. (Sound familiar?)
Alejandro Garnacho was particularly wasteful, and Bruno Fernandes was seen expressing his frustration with the young forward.
AFC Bournemouth v Manchester United FC - Premier League
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Alejandro Garnacho’s wasteful form could have cost him
One remarkable statistic about Manchester United in 2024/25 is that Alejandro Garnacho made more appearances for the club than any other player.
He had opportunities to show that he (a) deserved a spot in the Europa League Final line-up and (b) deserved to stay at United long-term.
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Garnacho’s inconsistent and wasteful displays meant that he was unable to convince Amorim of either.
Following his display in the 1-1 draw vs Bournemouth, United In Focus writer Sean Fisher commented: “Garnacho has been criticised for his end product this season and once again he was wasteful here.
“The 20-year-old attempted seven shots against Bournemouth and missed one big chance in the first half when one-on-one against Kepa.
“Amorim needs clinical finishers up front, and at the moment Garnacho is far from it.”
Garnacho’s wasteful performance so late in the season may have had a big impact on him failing to land a starting spot in the Europa League Final, sparking his subsequent exit.
Manchester United have upgraded
Manchester United sold Alejandro Garnacho for £40 million and signed Matheus Cunha for £62.5 million. The move has been a major upgrade.
United fans saw this in the weekend win over Aston Villa where Bruno Fernandes slid an incisive through ball behind the defence for Cunha to bend a first-time finish into the net.
It cannot be a coincidence that with United’s investment in attack, Fernandes has provided a club record 16 assists in the Premier League this season.
Instead of being frustrated by his teammates’ wasteful finishing like last season, Fernandes has led United into third place.
The Bournemouth game last season felt inconsequential, but it served to underline the reasons for one of the biggest attacking overhauls in recent times.
Heading into this season’s game away at Bournemouth, United should be a lot more confident that the attacking talent will get the job done.
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AFC Bournemouth v Manchester United - Premier League
Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images
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