Manchester United suffered another crushing defeat at Old Trafford on Sunday as they lost 3-0 to Bournemouth in their latest performance which indicated there would be no silver bullet for the Red Devils, even under new management.
In some ways, the match against Bournemouth played out like United’s EFL Cup defeat to Tottenham Hotspur three days earlier: the Red Devils were in charge of possession and dominated the opposition in shooting. But none of that really mattered in the end, as Bournemouth managed to take advantage of United’s shaky defense. The visitors took the lead in the 29th minute thanks to a free-kick goal from 19-year-old Dean Huijsen, while things went from bad to worse in the second half when Justin Kluivert and Antoine Semenyo scored two minutes each . other.
United have now conceded 18 goals in all competitions since manager Ruben Amorim took charge a month ago, currently averaging more goals against than Erik Ten Hag in 13 games before his dismissal in October. Sunday’s 3-0 defeat continued a worrying and lasting trend for United, who finished with a negative goal difference after conceding 58 league goals last season and faced more shots than most teams in Europe. The defense has clearly not improved this campaign, meaning United join Southampton as one of only two Premier League teams to lose two games by three or more goals this season.
The Red Devils look completely disorganized at the back most of the time, regardless of manager. The goals they conceded to Bournemouth demonstrate this, from an unnecessary penalty to Huijsen’s goal in the first half. His goal marked the 17th time United have conceded from a free kick in the league in 2024, by eighttheir highest total ever recorded in a calendar year.
United’s problems in defense are not helped by the fact that their attack is also struggling. Although they are averaging roughly the same number of expected goals this season as last time, they are averaging just 1.2 goals per game in the league, down from 1.5 last campaign. The offensive problems were on full display on Sunday, when they took 13 shots but put only three on target while Bournemouth put five of their eight on target. The same was true against Spurs on Thursday when United only put five of their 20 shots on target while the opponents had six of their nine on target. The Cherries, however, also outperformed United on expected goals, 1.78 to 1.32.
Although they enjoyed a confidence boost from their surprise 2-1 win over Manchester City a week ago, last week alone was a repeated reminder of the long road ahead for the Red Devils. Although Spurs’ 4-3 victory on Thursday was emblematic of a season of ups and downs for the north Londoners, it was nevertheless a positive outcome for Ange Postecoglou’s side, whose identity is intact and should find more consistency once his defensive injury crisis allows. up. Sunday’s result, meanwhile, is a huge vote of confidence for Bournemouth, who now sit in fifth place and just three points off a top-four finish. Their ambitious rebuild under Andoni Iraola makes them a team to watch, especially in a season in which just eight points separate fourth from 12th as things stand.
United could yet find a way to turn things around under Amorim, although doing so quickly with this version of the team should be out of the question, even if the new manager is one of the game’s rising stars. However, the defeat Sunday’s match against Bournemouth means United have to watch another team overtake them as they fight for consistency in their post-Alex Ferguson era. The Cherries are a glaring example of what United are not: a functioning club with a clear vision, from top to bottom.
Over a decade of mismanagement of the Red Devils has led them to this sorry state, whether by hiring the wrong managers or making bad signings. Even if United make good decisions, and the hiring of Amorim may well come in time, the club’s top brass cannot resist the urge to create a new form of trouble. With Amorim exercising managerial authority over Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho, with the former likely on his way out, the departure of sporting director Dan Ashworth raises further questions over the club’s future player recruitment. The failure to create stability, now the task of minority investor Jim Ratcliffe, means Amorim’s responsibility to build a winning team could be fraught with manufactured obstacles, in some ways, like his predecessors.
For United, getting out of this hole is not an impossible task. Whether or not this club can figure out how to do it without unnecessary challenges is another story.
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