“Who could have predicted 10 years ago that Bournemouth would win twice in a row 3-0 at Old Trafford? » This is one of the many comments that we can read this Sunday following the new spanking given by the Cherries to the Red Devils. On December 9, 2023, it was an already contested Erik ten Hag who showed the face of bad days after a 0-3 conceded at home. On December 22, it was Ruben Amorim, who carries all the hopes of the Mancunian people, who was dejected after this same sanction.
Manchester United have once again displayed crippling weaknesses in the Premier League, particularly on set pieces, which condemn them to wandering in the second part of the standings, far from their initial ambitions. And the harm is profound, since even a confident coach like Ruben Amorim comes up against a glass ceiling. “It’s hard. In this context, it’s difficult to want to win two or three matches. We try. But this match was tough for us. (…) In this kind of moment, everything is hard for us. The set pieces, the penalty, then we want to score again but we are too nervous. We have to fight against this”he declared after the meeting.
Ruben Amorim already tackled
As soon as the hypothesis of a rebirth arises, it is nipped in the bud. MU wins against Man City? He immediately lost in the League Cup against Tottenham then was slapped by Bournemouth at home. And inevitably, after two notable defeats, the Portuguese coach is starting to be criticized in certain articles. “We wish courage to everyone predicting United’s line-ups these days. Amorim’s XI has looked like a raffle since the arrival of the Portuguese and we can’t even be sure that the same team will play in the second half.thus tackles the Daily Mirror.
It must be said that Ruben Amorim is not afraid, as evidenced by his new decision to exclude Marcus Rashford from the group, for the third time in a row. “It’s my decision, it will always be like this”he said on Skysports before the start of the meeting. Against Man City, his choice to do without Garnacho and Rashford was validated by the victory. But when things go wrong, it’s no longer the same story. And no respite for Ruben Amorim, who will experience his first Boxing Day, with a trip to Wolverhampton then the reception of Newcastle, before moving on to Liverpool then Arsenal in January.
