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RUBEN AMORIM faced the toughest defeat of his short stint as Man Utd manager, enduring a surprising 3-0 loss to Bournemouth at Old Trafford.
His team was thoroughly outclassed by Andoni Iraola’s Cherries.
SunSport’s Ian Whittell has provided ratings for the Manchester United squad…
Andre Onana – 5
Showed signs of uncertainty on the ball, and his reluctance to hold onto it for too long was evident to United fans.
It was a challenging day for a goalkeeper, marred by several shaky moments, including needing two attempts to gather long-range shots.
Noussair Mazraoui – 4
Expressed frustration after conceding a penalty, yet it was difficult to support his actions.
He was caught off guard and, out of panic, tripped Justin Kluivert from behind, further contributing to a lackluster performance.
Harry Maguire – 4
Frequently found himself outpaced or struggling to mark his opponents, with Evanilson proving too elusive for the Manchester United defender.
Ruben Amorim believes Maguire aligns with his three-at-the-back strategy, but opinions on this are still divided.
Lisandro Martinez – 5
Failed to react as Semenyo scored Bournemouth’s third goal, highlighting yet another defensive error for United.
Much like his fellow defenders, he appears to be grappling with the new system, struggling to execute even the basics.
Diogo Dalot – 6
Managed a couple of solid blocks and tried to contribute to attacking plays from the wing-back role, although his impact was limited.
In a match where United’s defense faltered, he was not the primary culprit.
Manuel Ugarte
Received a yellow card for a cynical foul on Kluivert and often struggled to match the pace of Bournemouth’s attackers.
Much of the match eluded him, leading to his substitution before the hour mark as United aimed to change their fortunes.
Kobbie Mainoo – 6
Despite committing a few unforced errors like many of his teammates, his work ethic and determination were commendable.
He created a vital opportunity by dispossessing Dean Huijsen and setting up Bruno Fernandes, but also lost possession that led to Bournemouth’s third goal.
Tyrell Malacia – 3
A poor touch early on caused discontent among the home crowd, marking the start of several careless moments from the returning full-back.
It was inevitable that he would concede the free-kick leading to the visitors’ opening goal, and he was substituted at half-time.
Amad Diallo – 7
Benefitted from the Rashford situation and had the chance to ignite excitement at Old Trafford early on, but squandered a good opportunity by shooting directly at the keeper.
While it didn’t reach the heights of his derby performance, he still emerged as United’s most promising option for creating a goal.
Bruno Fernandes – 8
Now playing in a higher and wider position, prompting debate over whether this is the optimal use of his considerable skills.
In the final five minutes of the first half alone, he had three excellent opportunities that could have equalized the score.
Joshua Zirkzee – 5
Given a start over Rasmus Hojlund as a reward for his recent strong performances, but this outing fell short of expectations.
He was nearest to Dean Huijsen when he scored, although United’s defending was so chaotic it was unclear if he bore any responsibility.
Substitutes
Leny Yoro (for Malacia, 46) – 4
Came on as part of a necessary defensive reshuffle at half-time by Amorim but failed to provide any stability.
Alejandro Garnacho (for Ugarte, 54) – 5
Had a chance shortly after Bournemouth’s third goal but shot straight at Kepa.
Rasmus Hojlund (for Zirkzee, 54) – 6
Displayed potential for scoring and managed to force Kepa into a notable save.
Substitutes (not used): Altay Bayindir, Casemiro, Toby Collyer, Christian Eriksen, Jonny Evans, Antony.
