Joyful Cherries,

LONDON: Manchester United’s calamitous week hit rock bottom as Bournemouth (The Cherries) famously consigned them to a 2-1 defeat on Saturday.

United’s defeat multiplies the pressure on manager Louis van Gaal, already under fire for their prosaic playing style and midweek exit from the Champions League. Yet the Dutchman, happy with his team’s efforts, said he was not worried about the growing discontent with his reign. “It’s always like that. It’s not new,” he told Sky Sports.

United’s setback leaves them fourth in the table, three points behind a City side who are level on 32 with Leicester before the latter host Chelsea on Monday. Third-placed Arsenal, who have 30 points, visit bottom side Aston Villa on Sunday.

After United’s loss at Vfl Wolfsburg in the Champions League on Tuesday, goals from Junior Stanislas and former United player Josh King consigned them to another wounding defeat.

Stanislas scored direct from a wind-assisted corner that bamboozled keeper David de Gea in the second minute and although Marouane Fellaini levelled in the 24th, King struck with a low shot from a well-worked 54th minute corner to earn the points.

It meant more unbridled joy for Bournemouth, the Premier League newcomers who have an annual turnover 40 times smaller than United’s.

Last Saturday they had won 1-0 at Chelsea, a result that manager Eddie Howe felt was the greatest in the club’s history.

With Bournemouth now in 14th place — one point and one place ahead of Chelsea — Howe was reduced to laughter on Sky Sports when asked how this win compared to last week’s, saying: “That’s a difficult one to answer!”

King, the Norwegian who once played for United, was ecstatic about his winner, shooting home after finding space from a well-directed, low corner.

“That meant a lot to me. I spent five years there

(at Old Trafford),” King said. “I’d practised it

(the corner routine) a bit and missed it every time. Today, it worked.”