Man Utd drew 4-4 with Bournemouth in the Premier League on Monday and here are the talking points and moments you might have missed.
Manchester United drew 4-4 with Bournemouth in the Premier League on Monday. The game had plenty of twists and turns, but the points were shared after a late equaliser from Bournemouth forward Junior Kroupi.
Bruno Fernandes and Matheus Cunha scored goals in quick succession to give United a 4-3 advantage with 10 minutes remaining, but the Reds gave Bournemouth another bite at the cherry as they secured a point.
Here are the talking points and moments you might have missed from the game:
Fernandes’ efforts in vain
Fernandes has been the best signing of the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era, and he made it 3-3 with a stunning free-kick at the Stretford End. United rushed back for the restart and Fernandes whipped up the crowd to increase the noise, knowing that United had time to score again to win the game.
It took just two minutes for United to find that goal. Cunha finished to score his second goal for the club and the celebrations were wild. The Brazilian flung himself into the Stretford End, while Fernandes sprinted to where the substitutes were warming up to throw himself into their arms.
United thought they had won the game, but Kroupi went up the other end of the pitch to bring the score to 4-4. United’s biggest problem has been conceding goals – and it came back to haunt them.
Fernandes was inconsolable at the full-time whistle, furiously venting on the pitch.
The system change
Amorim has been heavily criticised for stubbornly sticking by his 3-4-3 formation, but he tweaked his system against Bournemouth, playing with a back four when United were out of possession.
When United attempted to build up play, Amad and Diogo Dalot were in the wing-back positions, but Amad pushed ahead of Leny Yoro when Bournemouth had the ball. The change caused some defensive teething issues, which prompted Amorim and his assistant, Carlos Fernandes, to give Yoro an earful.
The change was a positive, though. Amorim has previously said the positions that players take up during a game are more important than the formation itself, and the shape was fluid throughout, which caused problems for Bournemouth, who were not prepared to play against the changed approach.
Amorim said that not even the Pope could persuade him to change his formation, but he made a slight U-turn against Bournemouth. And United still found a way to drop points.
Controversial decision
United coach Adelio Candido man-marked referee Simon Hooper as the teams returned to the dressing room for half-time, seemingly complaining about the decision not to show Antoine Semenyo a red card.
Dalot challenged Semenyo – it was a foul on the Bournemouth forward – but he reacted by placing his hands on the neck of the Portugal international. Casemiro was sent off for a similar incident involving Crystal Palace midfielder Will Hughes two years ago, but Hooper dished out yellows to the two players.
Candido looked furious as he made his case to Hooper. The fans in the Stretford End recognised what the United coach was doing and taunted Hooper by singing: “You Scouse b******.”
The lack of consistency in refereeing decisions in the Premier League has been a longstanding issue.
The reception for Mainoo
There was a small cheer from fans in the Sir Bobby Charlton Stand when Mainoo was called to prepare himself to come on just before the hour mark. An even bigger cheer from the entire crowd followed when Mainoo replaced Casemiro, with thousands of supporters standing to applaud.
Amorim has produced some bruising quotes about Mainoo during press conferences over the last few weeks, so the reception for the midfielder was a clear message from fans within Old Trafford.
It remains to be seen how the Mainoo situation unfolds in the January transfer window, but one thing is obvious: United fans want the academy graduate to stay at the club for years to come.
Rollercoaster game
Amad scored a gift-wrapped goal ahead of Christmas when Bournemouth goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic’s hesitation created an opportunity that couldn’t possibly be squandered.
Dalot sent a brilliant cross into the box, Cunha won the flick on, and the ball kissed the crossbar before finding its way to Amad. The 23-year-old headed into an empty net to mark his last game before travelling to the Africa Cup of Nations with his second goal of the Premier League campaign.
The majority of the credit for the goal should go to Dalot, who built upon his recent improvement down the left with another important contribution in the final third.
Dalot’s contribution didn’t go unnoticed by the Sir Alex Ferguson Stand, who enthusiastically applauded the defender as he returned to his position for the restart. However, the same fans were not applauding when the final whistle went, disappointed at the team’s failure to see out a victory.
Back-and-forth
The atmosphere at Old Trafford is at its best for evening games and the Stretford End, in particular, was in fine voice. Anti-Glazer chants were aired and a “full sale only” banner was spotted before kick-off, demonstrating the continued unrest among fans about the club’s ownership.
“Stand up if you hate Glazers,” was heard, which was followed by a vitriolic chant about Joel Glazer. United fans then aired the Amorim “we’ll back him from the Stretford End” chant after Amad’s goal.
The Stretford End subsequently roared United back into the dressing room after Casemiro restored the advantage on the stroke of half-time, but it was Bournemouth fans who were gloating when play resumed for the second half, with the Cherries turning the game on its head in a matter of minutes.
“It’s happened again, Man United, it’s happened again,” chanted the away end section, referencing the fact their side has scored three goals at Old Trafford for the third successive season. Amorim has overseen two of those games against Bournemouth, who should not be scoring so many when they visit Old Trafford.
