“I wonder how you manage to sign a flop that is worse than Holjund. You need to drop him from the squad and send him to the youth team. He’s playing like he only discovered the ball yesterday” – This is according to Gary Neville as he slams a player With no key passes and no successful dribbles while also pressuring Ruben Amorim to drop the Manchester United underperformer whose impact is far worse than Rasmus Højlund’s issues.

Manchester United once again produced a performance that was equal parts exhilarating and exasperating. Moments of quality were followed almost immediately by lapses in concentration, leaving fans unsure whether to feel encouraged or frustrated.

 

Monday night’s dramatic 4–4 stalemate with Bournemouth may not have matched last season’s madness against Lyon, but it came alarmingly close. Ruben Amorim’s side looked sharp and inventive going forward, yet alarmingly fragile when asked to defend, repeatedly undoing their own good work.

 

Were it not for two late, decisive actions from new arrival Senne Lammens, United might have left Old Trafford empty-handed. Even so, the draw means the Red Devils have now surrendered seven points across their last three home league fixtures.

 

Given last season’s disappointing 15th-place finish, perhaps this inconsistency should not come as a surprise. United currently sit sixth in the table, part of an increasingly congested group fighting for European places. That position suggests gradual progress during the 2025/26 campaign, but conceding four goals at home once again exposed familiar weaknesses.

 

Costly individual displays against Bournemouth

 

As was the case against West Ham earlier in the month, United failed to capitalise after taking an early lead. They moved 1–0 ahead and should have extended their advantage, with both Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo spurning presentable chances before the break.

 

For Mbeumo, it marked another underwhelming outing in a difficult run of form. The AFCON-bound winger missed multiple opportunities, including a glaring first-half volley, and struggled to impose himself when United needed composure.

 

Defensively, Luke Shaw endured a particularly difficult evening. Tasked with guiding a youthful and makeshift back line, the experienced defender was caught out of position as Antoine Semenyo surged through to score Bournemouth’s equaliser shortly before half-time. Shaw repeatedly surrendered possession down United’s left side, losing the ball 14 times according to Sofascore, underlining why Lisandro Martínez’s return to the starting XI cannot come soon enough.

 

Amorim will also be eager to have both Matthijs de Ligt and Harry Maguire back to full fitness. With defensive options stretched thin, United were repeatedly carved open, conceding goals from simple, direct passes through their back three. Eli Junior Kroupi’s late equaliser typified how cheaply United relinquished control.

 

A worrying trend for a once-promising talent

 

While the head coach may stress collective responsibility, the match also intensified scrutiny on one of United’s most expensive recent investments.

 

INEOS are likely to look back with regret at several signings made before their arrival, most notably the £64m spent on Rasmus Højlund in 2023. Although the Danish striker showed flashes of promise early in 2024 and impressed in the Champions League, his form collapsed in his second season, leading to his eventual departure.

 

There are growing concerns that history may be repeating itself with Leny Yoro.

 

Signed from Lille for £52m in 2024, the teenage centre-back overcame early injury issues to become an important figure during last season’s Europa League run. His confident ball-carrying from deep drew comparisons to Rio Ferdinand, and optimism around his potential was widespread.

 

This season, however, that promise has faded. Yoro has struggled for consistency and endured another difficult night against Bournemouth. Operating on the right side of the back three, he was withdrawn in the second half after repeatedly losing possession and failing to contribute meaningfully in build-up play.

 

Across just 47 touches, the France U21 international lost the ball nine times, completed no key passes, failed to beat a man, and offered little defensive authority, winning only half of his duels. Notably, Amorim opted to replace Yoro rather than cheaper squad option Ayden Heaven, a telling decision on the night.

 

A crossroads moment

 

Still only 19, Yoro will not be written off lightly. Yet, as United have already learned with Højlund, patience in elite football is limited. If his performances do not improve significantly before the end of the campaign, serious questions will be asked about whether he is truly the long-term answer in Amorim’s defensive system.

 

United’s rebuild is moving forward in fits and starts, but matches like this serve as a reminder that progress remains fragile—and that reputations alone will not secure a place in this evolving side.