Semenyo shatters United to leave Amorim facing squall
The Guardian
|December 23, 2024
After mid-morning wind and rain that might have caused Noah a problem, the skies cleared and Bournemouth took apart a Manchester United team as amateurish as any of the iterations of the past decade or so.
Ruben Amorim's men could not defend, retain the ball or finish. So in these three fundamentals they failed, to leave their head coach appearing hapless and isolated. It is a fate familiar to all who have occupied the Old Trafford hotseat during this post-Sir Alex Ferguson era. There was a high comedic element too. Before kick-off United were drilled by Carlos Fernandes in defending set pieces. During the game Amorim left the technical area to allow his assistant manager to oversee these. Yet, hilariously, Dean Huijsen's opener derived from a free-kick at which he was left unmarked, the defender's goal kickstarting the Cherries to a repeat of the 3-0 win here last season.
Amorim has cited how the "storm will come" during his nascent tenure. Well, after his baffling selection at Tottenham that gave up the initiative by resting key players and ended in Carabao Cup knockout, a squall, at least, may be impending following this dire performance.
One argument is that the 39-year-old does not yet have the squad for his 3-4-3 to function slickly but if the basics fail, as they did here, it points to poor coaching from Amorim and his staff. Bournemouth convinced more in both areas. When Tyrell Malacia padded along the byline, to the right of Kepa Arrizabalaga's goal, the defender tied his feet up and Andoni Iraola's men cleared.
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