Manchester United 0-3 Bournemouth: Cherries expose frailties in Ruben Amorim's setup after more set-piece woe
Fans expressed their frustration as Bournemouth secured a remarkable 3-0 victory at Old Trafford for the second consecutive season. Meanwhile, Manchester United's performance remains inconsistent under their new manager, Ruben Amorim.
Erik ten Hag was the manager last year when the Cherries scored three goals against Manchester United on their home ground. Despite a change in coaching staff, the results have remained the same, with the team still struggling in the same areas, particularly when it comes to defending set-pieces.
The home team definitely put in a lot of effort during the first half, but they made mistakes after halftime and struggled to create chances in attack. This might raise more questions about Amorim's choice to leave Marcus Rashford out of the lineup for the third consecutive game.
Bournemouth's young player Dean Huijsen took advantage of United's poor defending during set pieces, scoring the first goal of the match with a header from Ryan Christie's free-kick while he was left unguarded. This moment marked the beginning of a display from United that soon fell apart dramatically.
A rapid double strike in the second half – with Justin Kluivert scoring from the penalty spot and Antoine Semenyo adding another just two minutes and eight seconds later – marked the most significant setback of Amorim's brief time in charge so far, leading to United’s seventh defeat in the Premier League this season.
The Portuguese coach had consistently cautioned that there would be challenges along the way, but suffering a fourth loss in just nine games highlights the serious problems that need to be addressed.
Andoni Iraloa's team has climbed to fifth place in the standings, while United finds themselves stuck in 13th position. This marks the first time since the 1989-90 season that they have ended up in the lower half of the table at Christmas.
Man Utd Player Ratings: Onana (6), Mazraoui (4), Maguire (6), Martinez (6), Dalot (5), Mainoo (6), Ugarte (5), Malacia (6), Amad (6), Fernandes (5), Zirkzee (4).
Substitutes: Yoro (5), Hojlund (5), Garnacho (5).
Bournemouth: Kepa (7), Kerkez (8), Huijsen (8), Zabarnyi (7), Smith (6), Adams (6), Christie (8), Ouattara (6), Kluivert (7), Semenyo (7), Evanilson (6).
Substitutes: Cook (6), Unal (6), Billing (6), Brooks (not available), Hill (not available).
Player of the Game: Ryan Christie
Amorim: Set-Pieces Are Our Weakness
For a better experience with the video player, we recommend using the Chrome browser.
Manchester United's manager, Ruben Amorim:
It's challenging. Under these circumstances, it's tough to aim for two or three victories. We're doing our best, but this match was really tough on us.
"We struggled once more with set-pieces, regardless of the circumstances. The atmosphere in the stadium made us a bit anxious."
"We dominated most of the first half and created several good opportunities. However, in the second half, the penalty and subsequent goal felt particularly tough for everyone involved."
During times like this, everything feels challenging. The set plays, the penalties—we’re eager to score again, but anxiety gets the best of us. We need to tackle this head-on.
"We made an effort to score, but ultimately it was a challenging game under difficult circumstances. It's time for us to move forward."
Iraola: We Were Steady, Not Spectacular
Bournemouth's manager, Andoni Iraola:
I'm glad we were more efficient today; we managed to score from a set piece, which allows us to be more dangerous, especially since we lack height as a team.
It was a strong showing. Not extraordinary, but definitely reliable. I'm pleased that we maintained our approach and continued to press on until the very end.
"We've accumulated 28 points, which is a solid total. The competition is close, and having this many points by Christmas is encouraging. We have two more opportunities this week, and we aim to make the most of them."
Man Utd Struggles With Basic Fundamentals
Laura Hunter from Sky Sports:
Nothing captures the current situation at Manchester United better than the words of the opposing coach, Andoni Iraola, after their seventh defeat in the Premier League. "We were solid – not spectacular," he stated. This is quite telling. It shows that you don’t need to be exceptional to win at Old Trafford anymore; being just decent is enough.
This season, only Southampton has given up three or more goals in more home matches than Manchester United, who have done it four times. Southampton currently holds the last place in the league. There are countless statistics that illustrate United's underwhelming performance. The list is long, highlighting the many issues plaguing the team.
One topic likely to make the news is their disappointing performance during set-pieces, as demonstrated by Bournemouth's straightforward goal from a basic set-play. United has let in 17 goals from set-pieces in 2024—the highest number they’ve conceded in a single year. The pre-match training led by Ruben Amorim’s assistant, Carlos Fernandes, appeared to be ineffective.
Numerous essential elements are going wrong, and if you're unable to execute the basics properly, the Premier League can be a harsh environment.
