Colin – Mainoo is built for the chaos, but not for defending it Ruben Amorim has faced a hail of questions about the inclusion of Kobbie Mainoo in his plans for much of this season, and rightfully so. The young midfielder quickly broke into the first team under Erik ten Hag and looked like a […]
Colin – Mainoo is built for the chaos, but not for defending it
Ruben Amorim has faced a hail of questions about the inclusion of Kobbie Mainoo in his plans for much of this season, and rightfully so. The young midfielder quickly broke into the first team under Erik ten Hag and looked like a bright long-term member of the club with his creativity in carrying the ball forward, short passing game, and final third impact.
All of those qualities are still in his game when he gets on the pitch and gets forward. in this match, he had some positive plays of interchange in getting the ball up the pitch, but the problem was that his assignment left him behind most of the action up front. Despite a strong second-half appearance, the weaknesses of only having two midfielders on the pitch at a given time were still there to see.
In fact, he was the only player really policing the midfield for United at all, and it was understandably overwhelming for him. When both Casemiro and Mason Mount were on the pitch, the Reds had a slightly better chance of avoiding overloads in midfield, but even that setup also failed as United conceded twice early in the second half.
So long as the manager continues to value his system over his squad, the results will continue to escape and Mainoo will continue to be without a proper role in the side.
Nathan – The second half of this season is going to live and die on the over performance/limitations of the midfield
For all of Bournemouth’s failures on their own defensive end, they had no issues exploiting United’s spine as the Reds failed to kill off the match.
Bournemouth erased all of United’s halftime momentum in the opening minute of the second half. The Cherries headed United’s failed long pass in the midfield circle to Marcus Tavernier in space. Fernandes was well behind in pursuit while Casemiro was roughly 20 feet away from Tavernier. The gap was enormous and Tavernier had an insane margin for error with a through ball up the middle to Evanilson who slipped between the centerbacks and beat Senne Lammens with a shot.
Four minutes later, in Bournemouth’s half, Fernandes was receiving a pass and took a poor touch that was immediately pounced on by Tavernier who carried the ball all the way up the middle, leaving Fernandes, Casemiro, and Dalot, who had come inside, to hopelessly chase after Tavernier. Finally, Casemiro, who simply did not have the pace to safely end the pursuit, had to make a last ditch tackle at the top of the box, earning a yellow card and a suspension in the next match. Tavernier banged in the subsequent free kick to take the lead.
Even after United did well to claw back and take a 4-3 lead, the lead only lasted five minutes, because, you guessed it, a free runner in the middle sprung a counter attack.
A turnover on the left wing saw United vulnerable as they shifted to that side. Benjamin Sesko chested a ball down toward Matheus Cunha but Bournemouth’s Alex Scott threw his body in the way to prevent Cunha from gaining possession. With Cunha now behind the ball, Mainoo stepped up to close down, but Scott chipped the ball over Mainoo and took him out of the play — all while Fernandes was already too far to the left and virtually removed from the action. Scott’s pass made it to Alex Jimenez and only Amad Diallo could get near enough to close down the counter, however, Jimenez got a through ball off to Eli Kroupi at the top of the box who had made a run to split the defenders. While Kroupi was left with a much higher degree of difficulty chance to convert than some his teammates, he converted nonetheless and ended United’s bid for a home win.
Week in, week out, this team is routinely outnumbered in the midfield and it’s not going to get better as the players become more fatigued over the course of the season. I’m concerned that yesterday was a stark reminder that this team may endure a spring similar to last season. What is the plan with the razor thin depth of this midfield is tested? Is it even possible to bring in reinforcements in January? Probably not!
Casemiro has a tendency to miss a game or two every season — i.e. this weekend at third-place Aston Villa, no less — and, no matter how remarkable and vital he continues to be, Bruno Fernandes is 31-years-old and has played an obscene amount of football without a major injury. Who knows what’s going to happen with Mainoo in January, and Manuel Ugarte is quickly taking Antony’s spot as one of the worst signings in the post-Fergie era. The cupboard is so beyond bare right now.
I think this team has managed to exceed its limitations — if not its expectations — this fall, and I fear that we’re in for another arduous second-half of the season because this team can only overcompensate for its flaws for so long. Sorry to bring the vibe down after United scored four goals, but let’s all protect our hearts in case Europe is not ultimately possible next season.
Vince – Most exciting draw in a while
United produced a much needed attacking performance filled with goals and momentum swings but ultimately came away with just one point in a 4-4 draw at Old Trafford.
They took the lead multiple times, showing real creativity and threat going forward — with goals from Amad Diallo, Casemiro, Bruno Fernandes and Matheus Cunha — and comfortably outshot Bournemouth, underscoring their eye for goal.
Yet defensive lapses and a late equalizer highlighted ongoing issues at the back that keep cropping up under Ruben Amorim, undermining their control and consistency.
It was the kind of game that summed up United’s season so far: exciting to watch, but frustrating in terms of results and defensive solidity
Category: General Sports
