THE VERDICT: UNITED 1 BOURNEMOUTH 1
THE question has been posed so many times this season: Where would United be without Zlatan Ibrahimovic ?
Here was your answer. Not being able to beat a struggling 10-man opposition at Old Trafford.
Last Sunday’s EFL Cup winning goalhero Ibrahimovic looked shot against Bournemouth and Jose Mourinho had nobody to step into his boots and rescue them.
The Swedish striker’s touch had gone and he missed a penalty. But his teammates, so often rescued by his 26-goal exploits, were unable to return the favour as United missed out on the top four with echoes of late autumn about their woeful display.
It was going to be such a nice post-Wembley, pre-Russia easy early afternoon at Old Trafford – but then some things never change at United.
The Reds don’t do mundane. Sadly, they still do downright poor.
Against a Bournemouth side who’ve been leaking goals for fun, United squandered a host of early chances. It had all the hallmarks of a frustrating Burnley stalemate or one of the Reds’ biggest wins in recent history.
Concerns that Wayne Rooney was rusty having not started a league match since before Christmas and Ibrahimovic’s low fitness level diminished when Marcos Rojo broke the deadlock after 23 minutes.
The Argentine defender turned in an Antonio Valencia drive and life was good.
But while United were able to overcome Rooney and Ibrahimovic’s early shortcomings, the return after four weeks out for Phil Jones was far more cataclysmic.
The Jones-Rojo axis formed the unexpected backbone of the Reds’ mid-season unbeaten run that upped confidence.
But Jones undid that good work in restoring his own standing with a clumsy upending of Marc Pugh. Ex-Red Josh King levelled it up from the spot.
Chaos then reigned as Ibrahimovic survived his elbow on Tyrone Mings and the Bournemouth defender got away with an horrific stamp on the Swede’s head as retribution.
Andrew Surman wasn’t quite so fortunate to avoid referee Kevin Friend’s eye and he picked up his second yellow and reduced Bournemouth to ten men. The picnic was turning into a panic. To add to it all, United ran into one of those matches when the opposition goalkeeper has a worldie. Artur Boruc was having a Tom Heaton afternoon.
The energy tank that has been tested in Rojo (23)) King (40 pen) 68% 32% 20 3 15 2 Rashford, Carrick, Ibrahimovic Surman, Arter, Gosling 75,245 Surman Kevin Friend 2017 was completely drained as the Reds ran out of ideas to crack the resistance of 10-man Bournemouth.
They were handed a gift on a plate when Adam Smith handled Paul Pogba’s volleyed cross, but United couldn’t even accept that penalty present as Ibrahimovic, the self-proclaimed lion, hit his spot-kick with all the force of a cub.
The search for the winner became more and more desperate and wild but that top-four carrot remained out of reach as all the game changers like Pogba, Ibrahimovic, Mata and Martial suffered.