“If I see Harry Maguire in my lineups again, I’ll sack Michael Carrick immediately”: Manchester United owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe names the player he doesn’t want to see in the club’s lineups
Manchester United came away from the south coast with a point after an eventful 2-2 draw at Bournemouth, a match in which they squandered the lead twice and finished with ten men following Harry Maguire’s red card.
The opening half was lively despite neither side finding the net. United created chances consistently, with Bruno Fernandes coming closest when his volleyed effort was pushed away by Djordje Petrovic.
Fernandes made amends after the break. Matheus Cunha earned a penalty, and the United skipper stepped up to send Petrovic the wrong way — but the advantage didn’t last long. United felt they had a strong claim for a second spot-kick when Amad appeared to be pushed over, though the referee waved play on. Bournemouth took full advantage of the reprieve, with Ryan Christie finishing calmly from around 16 yards to level things up. United responded almost instantly, with James Hill inadvertently turning a Fernandes corner into his own net to restore the visitors’ lead.
The drama was far from over. Within a frantic 20-minute spell that produced four goals, Maguire was shown red for bringing down Evanilson, and Junior Kroupi stepped up to convert the resulting penalty and earn Bournemouth a share of the spoils. United may feel the decision was harsh, particularly given the earlier incident involving Amad that went unpunished.
**Player Ratings**
Senne Lammens produced several assured saves without fuss, distributed sensibly and dealt comfortably with Bournemouth’s aerial threat. A composed display — 7.
Diogo Dalot had a mixed afternoon. He got forward with intent but was let down by a wayward first-half shot and a careless pass that put his side under unnecessary pressure — 6.
Leny Yoro continued his steady development in a back four, reading the game intelligently as Bournemouth probed around the penalty area — 7.
Harry Maguire had been performing well before the dismissal ended his afternoon. He may feel the red card was on the harsh side, and there is an argument that it mirrored the penalty United were denied for the challenge on Amad — 5.
Luke Shaw found the afternoon a real test. Rayan’s pace and physicality proved a handful throughout, and the United full-back struggled to contain him consistently — 6.
Casemiro was booked before the break and never quite found his rhythm. Bournemouth began to exploit the space around him and he appeared to lack his usual sharpness — 5.
Kobbie Mainoo was arguably United’s standout performer and a reminder of why he has earned a recall to the England squad. His footwork in congested areas and general use of the ball were excellent throughout — 8.
Amad began the match with real energy, showing quick feet and an early effort on goal before gradually fading from the contest — 7.
Bruno Fernandes endured a frustrating first half after wasting a clear chance at the volley, but ultimately made the decisive contribution with a coolly taken penalty — 7.
Matheus Cunha produced some sharp moments in possession and used the space available to him well, though a misplaced pass to Amad was a minor blemish on an otherwise solid showing — 7.
Bryan Mbeumo did not see much of the ball in threatening positions but worked hard off the ball and created room for those around him, even if he was not quite at his sharpest — 6.
Among the substitutes, Benjamin Sesko came on just before United’s second goal but was not involved in it — 6. Ayden Heaven and Manuel Ugarte both had too little time to influence proceedings — 6 each. Mason Mount entered in stoppage time in place of Amad and received no rating.
