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A hard-fought draw at the KC, which leaves Hull 10th and Brentford sixth.
A badly needed win for Newcastle, who move to seventh, while Palace are fourth-bottom.
Four wins on the spin for Liverpool, who move into fourth place.
Bournemouth may have steamrollered Flat Stanley, but they looked great doing it; United looked like a relegation outfit and sit fifth-bottom, which’ll surely trigger a change of manager.
“Speaking as a Bournemouth fan, I’m obviously pleased with the performance - the last week feels a lot like the payoff when we stuck with Iraola in his first season, even after a long poor spell. I think the most damning thing for United here is that this isn’t the first, or second, time I’ve seen Bournemouth win comfortably at Old Trafford but it’s the first time I went into this game thinking that anything less than a solid win would be a disappointment.
Clearly they’ve been poor but hard not to see what sacking Carrick would do. This club looks broken far beyond another managerial change. But no, I’m sure Eddie Howe will be the magic fix...”
Yes, agree – in my notes for a podcast I’m on later this evening, at the top of the page I’ve written that I expected United to lose at home to Bournemouth. Iraola, I guess, came with pedigree and a system, which isn’t so of Carrick. I wrote in the summer that Carrick’s work in the job was enough for me to plump for him to stay on instead of Iraola, who did well at Bournemouth, but not wow, it must be him well, and though I don’t think United would’ve got the players Iraola needed, he probably wouldn’t have presided over this level of dreadfulness.
Four added minutes stand between Liverpool and a terrific win. They’re starting to motor.
Five minutes added time at Old Trafford – the final five minutes of Michael Carrick’s reign as manager, you have to assume.
“How badly are United missing Casemiro?” returns Brian Broderick. “As a midfielder, as a on-field organiser and as a leader. How much of Carrick’s success last season relied on his presence?”
When United were in trouble, they often resolved the situation when he scored a header from set-piece. Without that, and without Sesko, who also saved them on various occasions, they’ve struggled badly.
The home crowd sing for Carrick, who they know is done for, but for whom there’s still plenty of affection – he worked wonders last season, but the job is simply too big and complex for him.
More good news for Bournemouth, Kroupi returning from his pre-season injury. He replaces Evanilson, with Adli on for Tavernier.
At Anfield, an attractive match is sputtering to a close with Brighton still seeking the goal that’d make things uncomfortable for Liverpool, but without really suggesting a goal is imminent. At Old Trafford, Lacey makes room down the right by diddling Truffert with a stop and sway, lifting a ball to the back post which ends up knocked behind for a corner. I really don’t understand why he’s not been seen since Brighton, given what’s been going on. He lacks a bit of pace and power, but has trickery and bravery, two aspects currently notable by their absence, and isn’t tainted by the failure in the way others are.
Looking forward, the problem United have is that the people in charge of sacking managers ought really to sack themselves first? How many more mistakes can Jason Wilcox and Omar Berrada be allowed, given what happened with Erik ten Hag, Dan Ashworth, Ruben Amorim and Carrick, along with the transfer-market messes?
Carrick sends on Shea Lacey, mystifyingly ignored after being given a chance against Brighton in the League Cup and scoring a beauty. He replaces Amad, unproductive yet again.
The story today will, of course, be how awful United are and the likelihood they change manager in the next few days. But Bournemouth have been good and everything they aren’t, quick, strong, focused, organised, competent, inventive and so on.
Carrick sends on Zirkzee for Baleba, which makes you wonder why he put Bruno on the bench; there’s no footballing justification for leaving him on there, so if it’s unitive, why not leave him out altogether? Revenge? I guess he probably isn’t getting the chance to wreak any more.
Adams swings a pass in behind, inside-right channel, and Evanilson is on to it, Lammens racing out but arriving second – perhaps the ball held up in the wind, perhaps he was never getting there. So Evanilson pokes past the keeper on the inside, runs past on the outside and, from outside the box, right-hand side of it, with Maguire lolloping back to cover, swings a stunning finish high into the far side-netting! Bournemouth have won 3-0 at Old Trafford twice in the last three seasons, and they’re poised to do so again – but might make things yet worse for United.
Liverpool push for a third goal, Gakpo away down the right but failing to find the ma in the middle.
United are, at least, spending some time attacking this half, Martinez shooting wide from distance, but they’re not sustaining attacks not seriously extending Petrovic. At Anfield, Nyoni has replaced Wirtz but is now struggling himself.
Another change from Carrick and again it’s not Bruno, Martinez on for Heaven, who had a shocker. For all the difference it makes, Rayan easing past Dalot and running atMartinez, who steps across him, only to allow his man through on the inside. he has options at the far post too, but opts to shoot, his low effort scuttling just wide.
A ball swung into the box bumps about, then Igor Thiago finds Ouattara and he taps home from a few yards.
Change for Bournemouth, Gannon-Doak on for Kluivert.
United are pushing at OT, Mbeumo going down when Adams jumps into him – United want a penalty but they’re never getting that – then, when Yoro finds him, he swings a shot over the bar. So they come again, Dalot lifting over Smith’s foot to go down the line and winning a corner, driven into Petrovic’s gloves.
At Anfield, Brighton probe seeking a route back into the game, Yalcouye on for Chema. Oh, and as I type, Wirtz flails a leg at Ayari, fouling with the ball out of reach, lands awkwardly, and gosh, he looks in a lot of pain. He does, though, make a quick recovery, so will, I think, be back on shortly.
Pierre Sage is another manager in deep trouble, Newcastle working Dedic into space down the right of the box, with his hard square-pass swept home by Barnes.
In comms, Gary Neville thinks Tielemans should’ve stayed on with Andrey Santos going off, and it’s hard to argue with that. United need goals, Tielemans can supply them, and Baleba should supply the solidity necessary given the game-state.
“Half-time sacking,” begins Ingo hHrtzke. “That question has come up before – so I’m once more sending a famous example from Germany’s 2nd division, about 26 years ago in December 1999 Toni Schumacher was managing Fortuna Cologne, who had a very colourful chairman at the time: Jean Löring. After a spell of bad results they were trailing 0-2 at home to Mannheim at half time, Löring stormed into the dressing room and shouted: ‘Piss off, you wanker! I never want to see you again.’ (That’s how Schumacher told it in his memoir.) To the press afterwards, he spoke the immortal words: ‘As the club, I had to act.’ Classic.”
A lovely example of l’etat c’est moi, but looking at this United side, 1999 was at least 260 years ago.
I’m not sure what Carrick’s trying to achieve by not bringing Bruno on. United probably won’t come back with him, but without him, it feels impossible.
At Palace, Willock is sent through and finishes well, doing what Rayan tried to but well … only for VAR to show a shoulder offside.
Heaven, having a mare, passes straight to Rayan, who exchanges passes with Kluivert then opens body to find the far corner only to finish too close to Lammens, who saves.
Not all that long ago, in October 2018, Jose Mourinho was about to get sacked with United 2-o down at home to Newcastle. Then they came back, won 3-2, and Mourinho lasted until just before Christmas, wreaking yet further havoc in the meantime.
Goodness me, a ricochet off heaven, dithering from Maguire, and a pass in behind is tucked away by Evanilson … who’s offside. He leaves that for Rayan, and it’s 3-0. United are an absolute debacle.
Newcastle build down the right and Murphy swings over a brilliant cross, which Osula tucks home at the near post and on the volley.
At Old Trafford, still no Bruno Fernandes, but Cunha is on for Tielemans. We’re underway again.
“Eamon Dunphy, in his fine diary of a season Only a Game?, broke the substitute’s omertà by revealing that most players who are dropped are delighted when their replacements fail on the pitch,” says Justin Kavanagh. “I’m sure Bruno Fernandes has a warm glow inside as he sits listening to Carrick’s half-time farewell speech team-talk.”
I found that book in the school library aged about 13 and it properly opened my eyes. I was lucky enough to interview Dunphy when making the film Busby, a complete thrill – his book A Strange Kind of Glory is a classic – and only he would have tossed all the interviews he did for it.
Half-time email: “Isak, Wirtz and Barcola seem to be finding their feet at last,” writes Colum Fordham, “and pretty good feet they have too. Liverpool once again pose an attacking threat to any team but the shambolic defence – Van Dijk a shadow of his former self and the erratic Kerkez - threaten to undo the good work. Araujo is definitely one of the most exciting of the new acquisitions for the Reds, his dynamism and strength very much needed. Iraola is managing to keep the dangerous Brighton at bay.”
I’m still not convinced by Wirtz, who flits in and out and doesn’t, I don’t think, make good decisions quickly enough when nuder pressure. But Isak is a class act, and Barcola is excellent when offered space in behind. I don’t love him in tight situations, but if he can improve his, er key actions, i.e. his final pass and finishing, he can be a factor in the Prem.
Originally reported by Guardian Sport.