This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…
Despite being given a major boost ahead of the match by seeing some of his injury doubts over key stars clear up, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer couldn’t guide Manchester United to a fourth consecutive away win on Saturday.
The Norwegian boss admitted in his pre-match press conference that the likes of Marcus Rashford, Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof would have to undergo late tests before being considered for the clash against Bournemouth.
“They got some treatment yesterday, a little bit more treatment today, a light session and hopefully they’re ready. I can’t tell you exactly now.”
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So once he got the green light from his medical staff that the trio would be fit and raring to go against Eddie Howe’s men, surely the United manager would have opted to stick with the tried-and-trusted set-up that has served him so well in recent games? Barring the win over Norwich, the Red Devils have played with a back-three since their impressive 1-1 draw against Liverpool – indeed they saw off Chelsea for the second time this season by using their new formation.
Insted, Solskjaer chose to revert to a four-man defence, and the tactical gamble back-fired as United succumbed to a narrow 1-0 defeat to the Cherries.
On the chalkboard
Lining up with a defence of Ashley Young at left-back, Aaron Wan-Bissaka on the right-hand side, and Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof as a central defensive pairing, the Red Devils were almost at full strength – barring of course the absence of Luke Shaw.
But the nature of the only goal of the game really exposed the weaknesses in their defensive set-up, and not having that extra man as they have done in recent matches, cost them. A ball into the box was chested down by Josh King, before the Norway international could take his time, swivel with his back to goal, before slotting it past David de Gea. Wan-Bissaka hardly covered himself with glory by over-committing himself to making a challenge, but United’s defence parted like the Red Sea.
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With a five-man defence, someone like Marcos Rojo or Phil Jones would have been occupying the space, or even marking King tightly. Instead, the Bournemouth forward had all the time in the world to simply do what he wanted. Solskjaer took a major risk by changing something that evidently wasn’t broke, and in the end, he paid for it.
