Michael Owen bluntly stated that Manchester United are simply “not a good team” following their 3-0 home loss to Bournemouth, also calling one player’s mistake “stupid.”
Ruben Amorim’s squad faced boos from the Old Trafford crowd as they suffered a heavy defeat to Bournemouth for the second consecutive season, marking their third loss in four league matches.
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This defeat means Manchester United will be in 13th place in the Premier League on Christmas Day, having only collected seven points from Amorim’s first six games as manager. ..Continue Reading
Bournemouth, now targeting European qualification, took the lead after 29 minutes with a header from Dean Huijsen, capitalizing on another set-piece error from United.
Justin Kluivert then increased Bournemouth’s lead from the penalty spot after a foul by Noussair Mazraoui. Just two minutes later, an on-fire Antoine Semenyo scored a third goal, effectively sealing the game.
Owen expressed his disappointment in United’s performance and highlighted Mazraoui’s penalty concession as emblematic of their struggles.
Asked about ‘rash’ Mazroaui, Owen said on Premier League Productions: ‘You’re being kind. A little rash? A little stupid more like.
‘What on earth are you doing? Two players are waiting for him, he’s not going to score from there and he dives in. ‘Just stay on your feet and usher him away. It’s just a poor, poor decision.
‘The sad thing from Manchester United these days is they go 1-0 down and you never really think they’re going to come back.
‘They’re not a good team. Ruben Amorim needs to be watching that game and ensure these players that are not performing do not put on the shirt again. He needs to be that brutal and that ruthless.’
After the tough 3-0 defeat, Amorim acknowledged that his defense needs to address their issues with set-pieces. However, he assured everyone that he is prepared for the significant challenge of restoring United to their rightful place.
‘It’s really hard especially if you saw the game,’ the ex-Sporting Lisbon boss said. ‘We concede one foul and then a goal.
‘We were winning second balls and creating chances. We conceded a penalty and then the third goal. It was really hard for the fans. We have to go again next game.
‘We have a lot of situations where they managed to score a little bit similar to Tottenham. It’s really hard on everyone in the stadium. We have to fight this moment.
‘We have to maintain the calm when you suffer a goal. It was similar in the last match. The players need to understand the game has different moments.
‘I always expected [job to be tough], especially in these busy months. We are ready to face the challenge.’
Semenyo, meanwhile, told BBC Radio 5 Live: ‘Feels great, back-to-back wins at Old Trafford – my second time here and my second win.
‘I think the most important thing was getting the press right. We were clinical on our end and they were unlucky with their chances.
‘We know we have a good team and we are taking it game-by-game. I am not going to say too much and I don’t want to jinx it.’
