Manchester United’s Chaotic 4-4 Draw: A Rollercoaster of Hope and Despair
It was a Monday game, and I had a final interview round on Tuesday. I was preparing all day, but I left two hours free for a ‘relaxing session.’ Poor me, I thought I would relax watching United play against Bournemouth. Their main task is to create chaos and attack with players like Semenyo, who Amorim called a ‘special player.’ Just like he referred to Cunha last year. Is this a hint? Is this an approach to lure him in, just like we did with Cunha? Hopefully so! I feel he can play both wings, an attacking threat like Amad, who is also good defensively, plus he brings the physical ceiling as well.
Anyway, it was a tough day. I was in Canary Wharf for one of the big interviews, so I didn’t want to be unserious about it. But after hours of preparation and revising my presentation, I decided I could give myself a two-hour break.
Amorim’s Tactical Gamble?
There were so many rumours about Amorim changing the formation for this game. Laurie Whitwell from The Athletic even reported Amorim was training with a new setup. You just think, why is he changing his formation and practicing this, especially when our wide players – Amad and mbeumo – are going off for AFCON? Personally, it didn’t make sense. But I was happy thinking we might get Kobbie Mainoo in a midfield three, changing from a 3-4-3 to a 4-3-3, giving Kobbie his chance. But of course, United had different plans.
The lineup came out: 3-4-3. No Kobbie. A back three of Shaw, Heaven, and Yoro. A midfield two of Bruno and Case. Dalot at LWB, Amad at RWB. Mount and Bruno as number 10s, and Cunha as the false 9 or CF. So, did Laurie lie, or did Amorim just drop the idea?
First Half: A Glimmer of Hope
The game started quickly. We were playing super fluid, really quick. I liked it; the formation felt a bit different. I was expecting a loss or a point, to be honest, but the way we started the game, the first 10 minutes looked solid, moving the ball quickly. United fans started to see a different pattern; the formation wasn’t really a back three but a back four. Interesting, yes.
At around the 13th minute, Dalot put an amazing cross in the box. Cunha tried to jump, maybe a bit of hair touched the ball, but behind him, it was Amad who got the final touch. It’s United in the lead after 13 minutes of pure domination of the ball! Filling me with the hope that maybe we were going to win this easily.
I would say that even until 25 minutes, we looked sharp with the ball, posing a threat. At the 29th minute, we saw a big Bournemouth chance. Kluivert put a cross in the box, and Tavernier ran in (a long run from outside the box into midfield to the box, with a clear header chance where no one was there to cover him). This is why we still scream as United fans when we need an energetic, proper defensive-minded midfielder. Casemiro is old; he can’t run. And alongside him, it’s Bruno, who doesn’t have a super defensive brain. But to be honest, it was mbeumo who saw Tavernier glide into the box, but the shot was saved by Lammens as it was straight to him.
Again, we had a fair share of the ball, and at the 36th minute, Cunha put an amazing cross to mbeumo, who also made a good run, taking a half-volley that went over the goalpost. Amazing ball, amazing try; mbeumo couldn’t score.
In the 40th minute, the ball got to the ‘special player’ as Shaw was shoved off. Mount and Bruno tried to stop Semenyo, but he was just too rapid. Once he was inside the box, he scored a clinical bottom-left corner from the right side of the inside box. Lammens could’ve done better; Heaven could’ve blocked if he had positioned himself better. But no, we conceded. 1-1 at 40 minutes.
At 45+4 additional minutes, we got a corner taken by Bruno straight to Casemiro. A clear and clean header. The goalkeeper could’ve done better, but it was 2-1 United lead. A good goal! We are getting very good at set pieces, and I personally don’t mind them if we also play good the whole game and create more chances, not just rely on long balls and corners. Today, we deserved it and deserved to lead at half-time.
Second Half: The Defensive Meltdown
46th minute. The second half had just started, and it’s the midfield again! Who can you even blame now? It’s all the same players; this midfield doesn’t work. Bruno is quality, Casemiro is also solid, but he can’t run. The pairing isn’t right; we are just accommodating Bruno as an 8 because he is our best player, where he should be playing up top instead of someone like Mount. So, the ball was carried by Tavernier. Bruno tried to match his pace but couldn’t. Casemiro didn’t move well. The ball was passed through to Evanilson, who scored a very tough goal from a weird angle but a clinical finish. Bournemouth equalized, 2-2. At this stage, I was thinking, ‘Oh, United’s half-time record might get tested.’ Even when it was 2-2, I felt that we might concede more now because something always happens to us after the first half.
At 52 minutes, Casemiro took one for the team as Bournemouth were attacking fast and rapid. They got a free-kick close to the box. Tavernier took it, and Tavernier scored it. Lammens could’ve done better there; his positioning before the ball was hit was bad because then he didn’t have the speed to jump faster. But well, 3-2. Man United’s half-time record was really in danger now.
We were literally dominating the game. How can we do that and end up losing 3-2 at 52 minutes? That is beyond me.
The United Comeback… Almost
The game was kinda open. Amorim made changes, bringing on Mainoo for Case. Martinez and Sesko also came on eventually at the 69th minute to bring more firepower into the game. We again started having more of the ball and more threat. At the 77th minute, we won a free-kick just outside the box. I’ll keep it short and quick: Bruno took it, and Bruno scored it. One of the best free-kicks I’ve seen him score ever. Class and quality! 3-3.
At the 79th minute, the whole of Old Trafford was rocking as we started a counter from our half to theirs. Cunha headed it to mbeumo, who took the ball a bit further. Sesko’s long strides took it forward. All of them running: mbeumo, Sesko, Cunha, and Amad. Sesko tried to low-cross it to Amad at the right side of the box. It was deflected by a Bournemouth player straight to Cunha inside the box, who finished it calmly. 4-3! United were winning! What a crazy game this has been!
Same Old United: Frustration Personified
84th minute. Our midfield was still very open. Amad ran back to his man, who had an acre of space to run. Another through ball from midfield to just inside United’s box. Kroupi, with a calm finish, scored it and drew it at Old Trafford. 4-4. Martinez was caught sleeping there because it was clearly his man that he missed. But well.
In additional minutes, Lammens made two crucial saves, which I’m sure Onana would’ve conceded. So it was a super entertaining game, but we should’ve clearly won it. Even in the first half, we could’ve scored 3, and it should’ve been game over. But it’s United, and it’s never an easy win for us. As the match statistics show, we dominated with 57% possession, 25 total shots to their 14, and an xG of 3.40 compared to Bournemouth’s 1.94. Yet, they had 6 big chances to our 2, highlighting our defensive fragility. Spending 200 million on our attack has really benefited us, as we are on the same number of goals scored as Arsenal, tied with 30, and only after City, who have scored 38 (well, they have Haaland, so that’s different).
I was disappointed after this game, even though it was entertaining. Whenever we have a chance to move up the table, we somehow don’t do it. Next up is Villa, that has to be clearly 0 points as they haven’t lost in their last 9 games and are the most in-form team in the league.
Beyond the Pitch: A Shared Struggle
Something related to Kobbie and his brother happened as well; I don’t even want to cover it here because I want to talk about it in depth, with the culture, in a separate post. I’m writing this post on Thursday, talking briefly about the interview. I thought it went alright; it was nice, the HR was nice, but yeah, I just want the decision now, whatever it may be. Getting a sponsored role is always tough, so I don’t know. But it was a good experience giving an interview at Canary Wharf from the 39th floor, beautiful. It was on Tuesday afternoon, and the hiring manager said that you will get the decision by Friday, which is tomorrow. So I feel kinda on my nerves.
But hey, it’s all in God’s hands now, as Ronaldo once said. If I don’t make it, then we grind again. Just like United, who lose points, as United fans, we lose hope at that particular game, and next game week, we get up and support our club we love. Similarly, I gotta stand firm on my ground and just work till I get my creative marketing role.
Till next time, YANITED YANITED YANITED.
UNITED SCRIPTED. 
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