Ruben Amorim’s wait for a win in the Premier League continued as Manchester United drew 1-1 against Bournemouth.
It is no secret that Manchester United are prioritising the Europa League to try and save their season, but the Premier League cannot just be forgotten.
Ruben Amorim wants to see progress in the league but there wasn’t too much to enjoy about his side’s 1-1 draw at the Vitality Stadium.
United target Antoine Semenyo scored the opener in the first half and the Red Devils had to wait until injury time to equalise through Rasmus Hojlund.
Luke Shaw is back
For the first time in 14 months, Luke Shaw started for Manchester United.
Shaw was slammed by French press for his cameo off the bench against Lyon in the Europa League, but Ruben Amorim kept faith in the 29-year-old to start at the Vitality Stadium.
Patrick Dorgu kept his spot at left wing-back, with Shaw slotting into the left of the back three – that is likely where his future lies under Ruben Amorim.
It’s great to see Shaw back, and he managed the full 90 minutes against the Cherries, but his performance was underwhelming and an unnecessary booking in the second half summed his afternoon up.
£92m double deal cannot come quick enough
Once again, United were frustratingly toothless in front of goal and there is nothing Amorim can do about it from the sidelines.
Rasmus Hojlund finally ended his goal drought by finishing from close range in injury time. However, this United side is still screaming out for a star striker.
United are close to an agreement for Matheus Cunha, with the Wolves star expected to cost £62.5m in the summer.
There are also reports that United are chasing Liam Delap as their striker target, with the Ipswich star set to cost £30m. The £92m duo are needed by Amorim as soon as possible.
Alejandro Garnacho problems persist
With Cunha expected to arrive this summer, reports suggest he could replace Alejandro Garnacho at United.
Garnacho has been criticised for his end product this season and once again he was wasteful here.
The 20-year-old attempted seven shots against Bournemouth and missed one big chance in the first half when one-on-one against Kepa.
Amorim needs clinical finishers up front, and at the moment Garnacho is far from it.
A quiet afternoon for Bruno Fernandes
So often this season, Bruno Fernandes has come to the rescue for United when others are not at their best.
The 30-year-old is probably owed an off-day given how good he has been this season and, unfortunately, it seemed to come here. Fernandes endured a strangely quiet afternoon, unable to make his mark against Bournemouth.
Even when Bournemouth dropped to 10 men, Fernandes wasn’t able to conjure his usual magic to break down their defence.
Ruben Amorim’s ‘intensity’ demand ignored
Before kick-off at the Vitality Stadium, Amorim reiterated the need for his players to be intense and focused despite there being nothing left to play for in the Premier League.
When asked what he expected to see from his side, Amorim told Sky Sports: “Intensity, we need to be focused.
“We need to be focused in the game and we need to improve our intensity, not just because of this game but because Bilbao is also going to be very intense.”
Amorim knows that United’s season hinges on the Europa League, making Thursday’s game far more important. But this result hardly builds confidence.
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