An array of ultra high-cost defensive excellence lined up at Old Trafford and at Frankfurt’s Waldstadion on Saturday. In Manchester, the most expensive defender in football history, United’s Harry Maguire, in front of the best goalkeeper from last season’s Champions League, Andre Onana.
Over in Germany, the most costly Asian player ever, Kim Min-jae, anchored a Bayern Munich rearguard alongside Dayot Upamecano, whose €43 million move from RB Leipzig two years ago places him in the top half dozen of fees the Bavarians have ever paid. Three of those, Kim among them, are centre-backs.
And a thoroughly chastening weekend it was for all these bearers of high price tags. United conceded three unanswered goals at home to Bournemouth, two of them to headers – Maguire’s chief domain – and all of them from crosses into the United box. Yet compared with Bayern, United seemed almost robust.
At Eintracht Frankfurt, the Bundesliga holders conceded five times in the opening hour, with individual errors spread evenly between Kim, Upamecano, and goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, perhaps the greatest gloveman of the 21st century. Neuer finished the afternoon on the wrong end of a 5-1 scoreline.
All of which raises anticipation around Tuesday’s visit by Bayern to United in the Champions League, a group stage match-day six showdown with the quality of a knockout tie for the Red Devils, whose hopes of rising from the bottom of Group A and into second place behind Bayern hinge on a home win.
That would at least keep them in Europe into the new year, but perhaps only via relegation to the Europa League. Only if a victory over Bayern is coupled with a convenient draw in the group’s other game between FC Copenhagen and Galatasaray can United clamber into the Champions League’s last 16.
The plain truth of why United have ended up walking this tightrope is that too many European fixtures have looked like Bournemouth’s trip to Old Trafford.
In all but one Champions League game this season, United have conceded three times or more. There was Bayern 4 United 3; there was the same scoreline in defeat in Copenhagen, and just a single point from the 180 minutes sharing a pitch with Galatasaray, the Turkish champions winning 3-2 at Old Trafford and coming back from 3-1 down to draw in Istanbul.
“We are inconsistent as a team – we have not been naive to that,” acknowledged United midfielder Scott McTominay, reflecting on those see-saw scorelines in Europe, and that less than a week ago, he was leading a victory over Chelsea only to then collapse against an efficient Bournemouth. “We’ve spoken with the coaching staff about it.”
The verdict from those staff? Disruptions to the starting XI because of injuries had played a part, said manager Erik ten Hag, comparing the lurches of form in the last three months with the relative stability of last season. “We had a regular team [last season], not so many changes, especially in our back line. That helps you get the routines in.
“But this team can perform at really high levels,” insisted the manager, cataloguing “the games against Chelsea and Everton [a 3-0 away win late last month], even against Galatasaray.”
Ten Hag added to that list phases of the defeat in Munich in September. “There were stages in that game when we played very well, it was head-to-head for a long time. We made some mistakes that were avoidable. If we have a good plan we can beat anybody.
Man United 0 Bournemouth 3: Player ratings
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Beaten by Solanke’s backheel. Saved well from the same player on 23. His post saved him on 40 as he played behind a consistently inconsistent side. Wobbling for the third goal. Reuters -
Pressed hard by Bournemouth. Ran forward and struck a shot into the side netting in the second half when Hojlund was waiting in the middle on a wretched afternoon for United. AP -
Player of the month and United’s best today – though the bar was low. Seventh-minute header was going in before Neto tipped it over. Outjumped for Bournemouth’s third. at fault for a fourth that wasn’t given. Reuters -
Played centrally again. Sloppy ball was intercepted in the lead-up to Bournemouth’s second. United’s back line bullied by Solanke. AP -
Decent against Chelsea, woeful versus Bournemouth. Fouled by Kluivert in a yellow card challenge. Led a four-against-three attack on 34 but made a poor pass. Complacent. Dreadful ball into Neto’s hands on 45. Didn’t track Billing for the second goal. Poor cross when United had an attack on 79. Booked. Getty Images -
Gave the ball away that led to a Bournemouth attack where they hit the post. Then gave the ball away as a 45th-minute attack broke down. It happened several times. Headed a 56th-minute corner down as United pressured. Outshone by Bournemouth’s tidy midfielders. Not a good afternoon for him. Getty Images -
Mediocre first half where he made a good pass as often as a poor one. Lovely crossfield ball to break the Bournemouth press and find Dalot on 67. Paled compared to his opposites in the winning team. AFP -
Nothing like the performance he gave against Chelsea. Involved and put the effort in, but wasteful and frustrating. Getty Images -
Pass forward to McTominay was weak and intercepted before Bournemouth goal. Shot blocked on 48 and wayward ball to nowhere a minute later. Ran, but ineffective. Booked. Will miss Liverpool away next week. AP -
Tough afternoon against the competence of Adam Smith. Too many poor touches. Best moment was a turn and run towards goal on 64. AP -
Alone and with little service in a first half in which Bournemouth did a number on United. First to come off. AFP -
SUBS: Rasmus Hojlund (For Martial, 58') More aggressive than the man he replaced. Booked. AFP -
Jonny Evans (For Shaw, 79') the damage had been done. Getty Images -
Marcus Rashford (For Garnacho 79') came on to a muted response. Tried. AP -
Facundo Pellistri. (For Anthony, 79') did little of note. Reuters -
BOURNEMOUTH RATINGS: Sharp early save to tip a shot from Maguire over the bar. Regulation save from Reguilon but, other than that, could have brought his deckchair. AFP -
Garnacho got precious little change out of him and was replaced by Pellistri with 10 minutes left. Getty Images -
Snuffed out an attack from Garnacho late in the first half. Cool, calm and collected as Bournemouth’s well-drilled backline was unruffled by an ineffectual United attack. AP -
Good block to deny a Scott McTominay shot. Another vital interception to deny Hojlund in the second half. Got on the end of a cross to make it 3-0 and seal the deal. Reuters -
A marauding run to set up Tavernier. Clipped a pass into the box that Solanke headed straight at Onana. Two vital blocks just after the break and then another from Antony late on. AP -
A great interception, burst forward and pass for Solanke’s opener. More sharp work to set up Solanke when he hit the post. AP -
Part of a heroic Bournemouth performance that allowed United no quarter in midfield. Helped his side to boss the game. AP -
Put in a decent shift but was hooked just before the hour for Philip Billing. Reuters -
Put the ball in the net in the first-half before it was chalked off for offside. Switched for Sinistarra after 72 minutes. AP -
Some quality crosses into the box to create chances. Weak first-half shot on his unflavoured right foot. Had a goal ruled out when Solanke was offside. Great cross for the second goal and another assist for the third. Getty Images -
A constant threat. Bullied United’s back line all game. A fine flicked finish for the early opener to take his Premier League tally to eight. Great timing on his runs. Hit the post late in first half. Helped to set up the second goal with a driving run and a pass out to Tavernier. AP -
SUBS: (On for Semenyo, 58’) A great run to connect with Tavernier’s cross for the second goal. Getty Images -
(For Kluivert, 72') Looked threatening after coming on; Dango Ouattara (For Tavernier, 88’) Unfortunate to have goal ruled out for handball late in the piece 6/10; Joe Rothwell (For Cook, 88’) N/A; AP
“We are not the only inconsistent team,” noted Ten Hag, with a glance at neighbours and European champions Manchester City – one win from their last five league outings – and, encouragingly, at Bayern, whose 5-1 thrashing in Frankfurt exposed uncertainties in defence and the base of midfield that have often been masked and compensated for by their attacking verve and, above all, by Harry Kane’s goals.
Bayern manager Thomas Tuchel blamed a poor start and confused preparations for Saturday’s ambush, admitting he had misread Eintracht’s tactical intentions when he saw the opposition line-up. Bayern had then been taken by surprise. The same afternoon, bamboozled by Bournemouth, Ten Hag also cited United’s sluggish start, seeing the visiting side as “more eager” from kick off.
Might Bayern’s lesser need – they have won Group A already – make them complacent from the start this evening? Ten Hag will not bank on it. Thomas Muller, the Bayern veteran, spoke of the “anger engine” that the weekend’s heavy defeat has revved up within the German champions.
Besides, Bayern arrive in Manchester with a formidable record to protect. Of their 39 previous group stage matches in the Champions League, they have lost none. That is true consistency.
