BACK TO SQUARE ONE
Ole at a loss after United hit by King’s moment of magic
SHARPEN those analytical knives, Mr Keane, and get those one-liners ready, Mr Neville. After a mini-run of results, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Manchester United are back to losing limply.
Back to square one. United came to the Vitality Stadium looking for a fourth successive win but left beaten by a team that failed to score in all of October.
Bournemouth’ s winner was special. Joshua King had Aaron Wan-Bissaka on his back, then duly put the defender in his pocket, flicked the ball over his head, swivelled and volleyed.
Bang. The winner — from a former United pupil, no less — and a Goal of the Month contender. Solskjaer showed his appreciation too, label ling it a‘ moment of magic’.
Yet his brow furrowed when discussing the defending. WanBissaka was not only to blame. Also in close proximity to King was Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof — £111 million worth of talent.
All stood statuesque while King turned and struck against the club where he learned his trade.
United’s haul of 13 points from 11 games is their lowest at this stage of a top-flight campaign since 198687 — the season Sir Alex Ferguson took over from Ron Atkinson in November.
Solskjaer knows this is not good enough. ‘Games like this you need to win if you want to challenge for the top four,’ he said. ‘We’re disappointed. We need a response.
‘We’ve had a good period going into this game. Now we’ve got to react. I’m sure we will.’
Eddie Howe’s reaction can be summed up by the opening line of his post-match press conference: ‘It wasn’t a bad day.’ Indeed for Bournemouth fans, it was perfect.
Well, maybe apart from t he conditions. Wet and windy, it made the flight of the ball unpredictable.
United, buoyed by recent results, began on top. Fred mistimed a halfvolley, before Daniel James skimmed the woodwork with a rasping drive. James made Bournemouth left-back Diego Rico think he was taking part in a bleep test, with the United man relentlessly running up and down the wing. Marcus Rashford looked slick, too.
Yet the goal never followed. United had chances but as Solskjaer said afterwards: ‘Could’ve, should’ve. That’s football.’ After half an hour, Anthony Martial drove into the box and was bundled over by Jefferson Lerma. United’s players screamed for a penalty.
Lerma let Martial know what he thought of his theatrics, causing a scuffle as he yelled at the 23-yearold while he lay on his back.
Lerma went into the book for instigating theme lee, and Fred joined him. Referee Chris Kavanagh was in no mood for gifting spot-kicks — or using his pitch-side monitor, as per usual.
Before the break, Bournemouth struck, ending a Premier League goal drought that had lasted 358 minutes, three games and 50 shots. What a strike it was, too.
Adam Smith crossed and King chested the ball inside the area. At first, you thought, ‘Why haven’t you gone for the overhead kick? Why did you let it bounce?’ This is why. King, with Wan-Bissakaf or company, flicked the ball over his marker, turned and beat David De Gea.
That goal meant United had equalled their Premier League record of 11 consecutive away matches without a clean sheet, last set between August 2002 and January 2003. The good news? Back in 2002-03, they were crowned champions. The bad news is they currently sit mid-table and lacked inspiration in the second half.
With 15 minutes to go, United were struggling to open up the Bournemouth defence. They passed from left to right, then back the other way. Their frustration was perhaps summed up best by the sight of Fred’s patience snapping and going for goal, only for the midfielder to find Row Z.
Mason Greenwood was introduced late on. With his first touch, the 18year-old met a deep cross and hit the woodwork. Time was running out. A couple of hit and hopes followed but none truly troubled Howe’s solid Bournemouth side.
United’s fans, on a 500-mile round trip, headed home with nothing, just as they did from Newcastle a month ago. The winning streak was nice while it lasted.