We lost the points in the first half, says manager after his side squanders leads in 4-4 thriller with Bournemouth.
A visibly frustrated Rúben Amorim said his Manchester United side must find a way to “close the games” after they were held to a chaotic 4-4 draw by Bournemouth at Old Trafford on Saturday, a result that saw them drop vital points in the race for the top four.
United led three separate times in a match that featured 39 shots but were ultimately pegged back each time, with Bournemouth substitute Junior Kroupi netting the final equalizer six minutes from time.
“It’s really disappointing, we are really disappointed,” Amorim said afterward. “In the end, we deserved more… We need to find ways of closing the games because this happened many times.”
The manager pinpointed the first half, where United led 2-1, as the true source of the dropped points. “It might look like we lost the two points in the second half, but I think we lost them in the first half. We dominated and created so many chances. We had to go to half-time with a different result.”
The game was a rollercoaster for the home fans. Amad Diallo opened the scoring, only for Antoine Semenyo to equalize. Casemiro’s header restored the lead before halftime, but Bournemouth stunned Old Trafford with two quick goals after the break to go ahead 3-2.
United responded with two goals in two minutes—a stunning Bruno Fernandes free-kick and a Matheus Cunha finish—to lead 4-3, only for Kroupi to have the final say. Bournemouth’s David Brooks even missed a golden chance to win it in stoppage time.
“Difficult to explain,” said Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola. “I suppose for the neutrals, it’s been a nice game… You didn’t even know if we were happy finishing the game or giving us one minute more.”
The draw leaves United in sixth, level on points with Crystal Palace, while Bournemouth, now winless in seven, climbed to 13th. For Amorim, the search for defensive resilience continues. “That’s part of the process,” he conceded. “We try to do things the best we can, but in some moments it’s not enough.”
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