These two Manchester United players cannot play together, Erik ten Hag has just been done a big favour

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Manchester United were well beaten by Bournemouth with a very contrasting performance to the Chelsea win.

Erik ten Hag lucked out on Wednesday night, with Scott McTominay scoring a brace to lead Manchester United to a win over Chelsea.

Many accolades came McTominay’s way afterwards, as tends to happen, before the same tactical plan fell flat against a Bournemouth team which planned to expose it.

And this is the problem with playing McTominay so high up the pitch, you cannot do so while still accommodating Bruno Fernandes into the team too.

Manchester United midfield problems

Manchester United’s midfield problems have been existent all season. The first games of the season against Wolves and Tottenham saw Mason Mount playing high with Fernandes, leaving Casemiro overworked and exposed.

The same problems befell Sofyan Amrabat against Bournemouth, where the Moroccan and United’s defence were outdone by a shrewd away side who took their chances.

McTominay and Fernandes like to do damage in the final third, and so this is where they need to be, and are for the majority of the time. The only way to accommodate this is with a four or five man midfield, not with three forwards too.

Playing McTominay high up the pitch works if he scores, but it is solely dependent on that. He offers nothing else to the team.

Ten Hag wants McTominay in the team for his scoring, and he wants Fernandes for his creativity and because he is captain. But they should not be playing together in this system, otherwise we will see more results like this. It is high-risk football, from a team that should have more control, not constantly walking a tightrope and hoping for the best.

Unless Ten Hag wanted to bite the bullet and play McTominay as striker, getting Fernandes and McTominay into the same XI should be a no-go.

Bruno Fernandes suspension

Bruno Fernandes is now suspended against Liverpool after picking up a fifth yellow card of the season.

This has actually done Erik ten Hag a big favour, and saved him from himself, because he surely would have picked McTominay and Fernandes, and United’s midfield would have been torn to shreds, again.

Helps Ten Hag against Liverpool

Now he is forced to consider other options, which may include selected Sofyan Amrabat and Kobbie Mainoo, offering the team a stronger midfield base.

The duo have a high potential upside together, but have yet to play alongside each other, because Ten Hag has been trying to accommodate McTominay and Fernandes into the same side.

The suspension simplifies Ten Hag’s plans at Anfield, meaning he does not have to choose between the pair.

Of course, he may not take his own ‘get out jail free card’ and could throw Mason Mount into the mix with McTominay if the Englishman is fit for the match.

Winning at Anfield means taking a degree of risk, but after last year’s horrifying result, a more sensible approach is required.