Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim expressed his frustration after his team's thrilling 4-4 draw against Bournemouth at Old Trafford on Monday. Amorim lamented missed opportunities and a lack of ruthlessness in closing out the game, despite seeing his side score four goals.
The game was a Premier League spectacle, with both teams trading blows in an encounter that saw Manchester United twice relinquish the lead. Amorim admitted that while the match was "fun" for the neutral observer, he was ultimately disappointed not to secure all three points.
"It was a fun game for everyone at home,” Amorim said. “I think we started really well. We did a good first half". He highlighted the team's strong start and first-half performance but rued their inability to maintain concentration. "The result should be completely different," he stated. "And then again, six minutes of the second half, similar to Nottingham [Forest], we lost the concentration, and they score two goals".
Manchester United took the lead in the 13th minute through Amad Diallo, who nodded home a cross from Diogo Dalot. Despite creating numerous chances in the first half, defensive errors allowed Bournemouth to equalize. The Cherries then took the lead in the second half, with goals from Evanilson and Marcus Tavernier.
United rallied, with Bruno Fernandes scoring a superb free-kick to level the scores. Matheus Cunha then put the home side ahead again, but Bournemouth showed resilience, and substitute Eli Junior Kroupi equalized to make it 4-4.
Amorim pinpointed a late throw-in as a key moment where his team needed to manage the game better. "Just a throw-in in our possession, we have to close and think about not to go again, to stay calm and close the game," he explained. He acknowledged the effort of his players but emphasized the need to be more clinical in the final stages of matches. "I saw the effort of the players, I saw the effort of the defence, and at the end of the game, you make 4-3, I had the feeling that we would continue to push and score another one," he said. "We tried, but in the end, it was a draw".
Despite the disappointing result, Amorim insisted that Manchester United is still on an upward trajectory. He differentiated the performance against Bournemouth from their previous two home games, acknowledging the need to pay attention to their form at Old Trafford. “When you win away, you should win at home, but we need to focus on the performance today was different from the last two at home. So that is a point we take, pay attention," Amorim stated. "The result is the same, it is one point, it is frustrating, but the performance is different".
Amorim emphasized the importance of turning draws into victories and wants a more clinical edge to his team. He hopes his team will learn from the experience and display greater composure in future matches.
