Another meeting with Bournemouth, another somewhat frustrating result for Manchester United, with Michael Carrick's men having been forced to settle for a point on the south coast on Friday evening.
It may not have been the chaos of the reverse fixture, which ended 4-4 at Old Trafford, yet this was another meeting packed with incident, not least in a rather breathless second-half.
Frustrations over refereeing decisions may be valid, although Carrick and his coaching staff will be concerned at the ease at which the Cherries levelled things up initially, with the hosts having countered on United so effectively.
Manchester United draw to Bournemouth
Equally too, despite a largely bright showing collectively, the configuration of the Red Devils' forward line also provides something of a headache, with Bryan Mbeumo's recent form a particular talking point.
Mbeumo's disappointing Bournemouth display in numbers
United's joint-top scorer this season, Mbeumo has been an astute signing following his £71m switch from Brentford, with his form in the early weeks under Carrick proving particularly impressive, with notable goals against Manchester City, Arsenal and then Tottenham Hotspur.
The Cameroonian has also contributed assists against both West Ham United and Everton since then, although that should not overshadow his recent woes, with Friday night proving another tough outing.
Unlike against both Newcastle United and Aston Villa, there was a greater zip and energy to the 26-year-old's performance this time around, albeit while having largely been outshone by the performances of Matheus Cunha and goalscorer Bruno Fernandes behind him.
Mbeumo record - post-AFCON
Opposition
Man City
Arsenal
Fulham
Spurs
West Ham
Everton
Palace
Newcastle
Aston Villa
B'mouth
Total (10 games)
Leading the line again through the middle, Mbeumo lost the ball every three touches prior to his late withdrawal, while recording a lowly pass accuracy rate of just 59% in that 71-minute outing.
In an attacking sense too, the ex-Bees star registered just a single shot and provided only one key pass, further heightening the calls to see Benjamin Sesko unleashed in his place on a more consistent basis.
byran-mbeumo-man-utd
Indeed, Mbeumo has almost enjoyed undroppable status this term, yet with competition for places in that forward line, Carrick might have to get ruthless when United do resume action in over three weeks' time.
That said, the Englishman could also deploy something of a wildcard move if he is to get the Red Devils' number 19 firing again.
How Man Utd can get the best out of Mbeumo
The obvious solution would be to simply reinstate Mbeumo in his favoured right-wing berth, while bringing Sesko into the fold in an attacking sense.
Diogo Dalot and Senne Lammens for Manchester United Related
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Manchester United fell to a draw against Bournemouth in the Premier League in contentious circumstances.
The only issue there, however, would be the absence of Amad, the Ivorian arguably the man who lifts this team when he does feature, even if not always supplying an end product, with it perhaps no coincidence that Carrick's only defeat came in one of the two games that Amad has started on the bench under his watch.
There was a sense that two of the only players to really have benefited from Ruben Amorim's 3-4-3 set-up were Mbeumo and Amad, with the pair combining in the away trips at Anfield and the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium earlier in the campaign.
That early goal on Merseyside was a particular example of their burgeoning relationship, with Amad - hailed as a "wizard" by journalist James Copley - sliding the ball in behind the Liverpool defence, before Mbeumo expertly converted from the angle.
Amad - signed for a fee that could reach £37m - had been operating as right wing-back that day, as he did so often under Amorim.
Mbeumo, meanwhile, was in a right-sided number ten berth, a tactical approach that allowed the pair to interchange and wreak havoc on the opposition.
Right now, such combinations are few and far between, hence why if Carrick is to try and get the pair into his best side, he could take something of a radical step by deploying Amad as a makeshift right-back.
With Diogo Dalot - who squandered a gilt-edged chance against Aston Villa - having again endured a difficult night on Friday, and with Noussair Mazraoui having been hampered by injury this season, the Ivorian could be a wildcard solution on that flank.
Amad 2024-25 stats (timeless)
As he showcased when deployed as a wing-back, the 23-year-old has the work rate and application to ensure he isn't a liability defensively, while his ability to retain possession in tight areas is such a bonus, as seen in his stellar 97% pass accuracy rate against Andoni Iraola's men.
In games United are expected to dominate, particularly at home, having another attacking weapon would be a useful asset, with such a switch then allowing Mbeumo to return to his rightful home on the right wing.
Amad Diallo for Man United
A bold suggestion that might be, although Carrick did already opt for something similar in the closing stages of United's trip to the London Stadium, following the entrance of Joshua Zirkzee and Sesko, with Mbeumo shifting over to the right ahead of Amad, prior to providing the assist for the away side's stoppage-time equaliser.
Whatever the case, much of United's attacking success is coming through Cunha, Fernandes and set-pieces right now, with something needing to change both through the middle and on the right-hand side.
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