Manchester United had to settle for a point after twice leading and going down to ten men at Bournemouth.
Michael Carrick celebrates during Manchester United's draw with Bournemouth
Michael Carrick celebrates during Manchester United's draw with Bournemouth(Image: Charlotte Wilson/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)
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Before the team news was announced, many had tipped Michael Carrick to turn to Benjamin Sesko on the south coast. The Slovenian has been a revelation since Ruben Amorim left, bagging eight goals as Manchester United's charge up the Premier League table gathered pace.
Against Newcastle, Sesko was unusually quiet. All the same, it felt harsh to bench the striker for the 3-1 victory over Aston Villa and the forward proved that point by coming on in the 75th minute and scoring in the 81st. Bryan Mbeumo's drop in form also pointed towards the 22-year-old returning to the starting XI.
Mbeumo has not scored since the victory over Tottenham. Considering Amad was given a break from the starting line-up and improved off the back of it, Carrick looked like he could repeat the trick with Mbeumo. But the interim head coach stuck with the same team that started last Sunday.
HEREHERE.
Any doubts as to whether this was the right call or not were banished in the first half. United did everything but score as they dominated their opponents away from home. The beauty of having Mbeumo, Amad and Matheus Cunha in your front three is the fluidity the trio offer.
The forwards interchanged positions throughout and you could tell the impressive Marcos Senesi and James Hill were struggling to keep track of the United attackers. Bournemouth were not afraid to take the game to the Reds and on a couple of occasions Carrick's side were bailed out by good Senne Lammens stops.
But when the opponent is willing to attack in numbers, there will naturally be gaps left behind. This is where the fluidity of the front three comes into play.
Their versatility allowed Bruno Fernandes to pull the strings and exploit the gaps they were creating. The Reds' threat tailed off in the second half as the game wore on and the visitors had to work harder with ten men.
When Sesko came on for the final 20 minutes he gave Bournemouth's back line a challenge they seemed a little more comfortable with. The centre-forward struggled to make the ball stick at the top of the pitch and this, coupled with the Harry Maguire red card, ensured the hosts finished the game stronger.
Benjamin Sesko is booked during Manchester United's draw with Bournemouth
Benjamin Sesko is booked during Manchester United's draw with Bournemouth
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After United's two most impressive results this season, at home to Manchester City and away at Arsenal, Carrick explained why he likes to play Mbeumo as the centre-forward. "It’s just variety, in terms of the strengths in some ways," he explained.
"I think, Bryan, I gave him a bit of a free role in many ways, in a partnership with Bruno last week, to drift and to fill different spaces." This flexibility was at the forefront of everything that went right for United in the first half and was the reason the Reds were dominating the game.
After their lengthy break, United welcome Leeds to Old Trafford. That game will be a completely different challenge for the Reds' forward line.
Unlike Bournemouth, Leeds will look to be compact and United will be expected to break them down. That could be when Carrick decides to unleash Sesko once again.
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