SIMON MULLOCK
Final say from Old Trafford
ERIK TEN HAG won’t want to buy a newspaper or venture online over the next few days. There’s going to be some extremely painful reading.
At the end of a week when Manchester United reacted to the latest storm of criticism by banning journalists looking for answers about how a club of their stature could lose 10 games before Christmas, came another harsh dose of reality. Bournemouth had never won at Old Trafford before. They have now – and in some style – thanks to goals from Dominic Solanke, Philip Billing and Marcos Senesi. So it’s now 11 defeats in 23 games for United this season. It’s madness to think a win would have lifted Ten Hag’s men level on points with Manchester City, the team that remain favourites to win a fourth successive title despite their own recent travails. United’s fans like to talk about history. They haven’t had much else to keep their cockles warm in recent years. But the sight of Bournemouth lording it at the Theatre of Dreams is the stuff of their worst nightmares.
Ten Hag’s team responded to their no-show at Newcastle last week by beating Chelsea on Wednesday with a display that suggested there was at least a sense of professional pride. That notion was blown away by a result that flattered the home side.
Solanke hit the post and both Marcus Tavernier and Dango Ouattara had goals disallowed. Next up are Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Tuesday, when United need to beat the Bundesliga champions and then hope Copenhagen and Galatasaray play out a draw if they are to qualify for the last 16.
Bayern lost 5-1 to Eintracht Frankfurt while United were being humbled – so boss Thomas Tuchel will be demanding a response from Harry Kane and Co. Could it get any worse? Well, yes. United travel to Liverpool next Sunday, nine months after their last trip to Anfield ended in a seven-goal humiliation.
They will be without Bruno Fernandes after his fifth booking of the campaign.
Bournemouth were hammered in the summer for sacking Gary O’neil after he kept them up. His replacement, Andoni Iraola, needed 10 games to get his first Premier League win. But they are up to 13th in the table.
Lewis Cook typified their approach. Big things were expected of him when he captained England to glory at the Under-20 World Cup six years ago and he won a senior cap in 2018.
It was his tenacity that set Bournemouth on their way in the fifth minute when he stole Fernandes’ pass from Scott Mctominay and burst past Sofyan Amrabat before setting up Solanke for a close-range finish.
Solanke also hasn’t quite reached the potential of his early years – but gave Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw a torrid time with his movement and muscle.
The first time United’s fans raised the noise level was when Rasmus Hojlund stepped off the substitutes’ bench to warm up 10 minutes before the interval.
The £72million striker replaced Anthony Martial 10 minutes after the break when the home side were finally building momentum.
But Bournemouth put the contest to bed with two goals in five minutes.
Solanke’s pass out to the left allowed Tavernier to serve up a delicious far-post cross that enabled substitute Billing to clamber high above Shaw to head home.
When Argentine centre-back Senesi found himself unmarked to head in a Tavernier corner in the 73rd minute, the away fans started taunting Ten Hag with chants about the Dutchman getting sacked in the morning. Their banning orders might already be in the post.