Manchester United’s miserable run continued on Sunday as Bournemouth inflicted a 3-0 defeat on Michael Carrick’s side at Old Trafford, extending their winless streak to eight matches in all competitions and intensifying pressure on the manager.
Brazilian winger Rayan opened the scoring in the 38th minute before Marcus Tavernier doubled Bournemouth’s advantage five minutes later. Brazilian striker Evanilson completed the victory in the 71st minute, leaving United’s supporters frustrated after another disappointing performance.
The defeat followed United’s 4-1 Champions League loss to Como on Wednesday, a result that had already raised questions about Carrick’s tactical approach and the team’s direction.
United supporters booed the players as they headed towards the tunnel, while some fans chanted Carrick’s name during the match. The contrasting reactions highlighted the growing frustration with the club’s leadership and performances.
Bournemouth, managed by Marco Rose, capitalised on defensive errors to secure a convincing away victory. Rayan finished at the far post to give the visitors the lead, while Tavernier took advantage of a mistake by United defender Leny Yoro to score their second before half-time.
Evanilson then put the result beyond doubt after beating goalkeeper Senne Lammens to the ball and finishing into an unguarded net.
The result further complicated Carrick’s position at Old Trafford. United had entered the match under pressure following a sequence of disappointing results across domestic and European competitions.
Their last victory came on September 10, when they defeated Azerbaijani side Sabah FK 4-0 in the Champions League. Since then, they have recorded three draws and five defeats in eight matches across all competitions.
Captain Bruno Fernandes was another major talking point after Carrick left him out of the starting line-up and did not introduce him during the match.
The decision came days after the Portuguese midfielder publicly questioned United’s tactics following their defeat to Como.
Speaking to TNT Sports after that match, Fernandes criticised the team’s approach to pressing their opponents, suggesting that allowing Como too much possession had helped the Italian side gain confidence and control proceedings.
Carrick, asked before Sunday’s match why Fernandes had been dropped, described the decision as being for “pure football” reasons.
“Picking the team is always a difficult decision. We’ve got to make what we feel is the right one for the team to try to get the performance we want,” he told Sky Sports.
However, the decision failed to produce the response Carrick needed, as United struggled defensively and offered little resistance to Bournemouth’s attacking play.
The defeat also leaves United in a difficult position in the Premier League standings. They had collected seven points from their opening eight league matches, their lowest tally at that stage of a season since 1986-87.
For Bournemouth, the victory provided another boost as they continued to build momentum. Their performance at Old Trafford demonstrated their ability to exploit United’s defensive weaknesses and punish mistakes in decisive moments.
Carrick now faces mounting scrutiny as United seek to halt their slide and restore confidence among supporters.
