Seven without a win, a captain at odds with the staff – and Bournemouth arrive flying
Michael Carrick opened Friday’s press conference with a five-minute statement admitting that United have „lost our way“. The 4-1 defeat at Como on Wednesday stretched their winless run to seven matches in all competitions, the club’s longest since 2015, and Bruno Fernandes then publicly questioned the tactics. The BBC reports that the club is looking at possible replacements. Bournemouth are in the opposite mood: they have won three in a row without conceding, including a 3-0 win over AC Milan on Thursday.
„I will hold that umbrella for me to get wet and everyone else to stay dry.“ – Michael Carrick on the pressure at Old Trafford
Predicted lineups: Man United vs Bournemouth
United’s injury list hits the centre of the team. Kobbie Mainoo, who had started five of seven league games and was one of their best-rated players, is out with a muscle problem, and Luke Shaw is not expected back until November. Patrick Dorgu (thigh) and Manuel Ugarte (knee) are also out. Benjamin Šeško is a doubt with a shin injury, while Lisandro Martínez and Marcus Rashford have a chance of playing. For Bournemouth, the key absence is Alex Scott, their highest-rated player in the league, who is out with a thigh problem. Alex Tóth is out with a hamstring injury, while Eli Junior Kroupi is back in the squad but is expected to start on the bench. The line-ups follow Sports Mole’s predictions as reported by The False 9.
Man United Team News & Preview
The problems go beyond results. Carrick insisted the dressing room „is not divided“, but Fernandes’s comments after Como, and Martínez’s earlier frustration, have made a difficult week worse. Asked whether he would drop the captain or take the armband away, Carrick would only say he would do „what is best for the football club“. With the hierarchy increasingly concerned, Sky Sports describe this as a pivotal game for him.
On the pitch, United are 13th with one league win from seven. They do create chances, with 1.66 expected goals per game, but they have not kept a clean sheet in the league and have conceded in every home game. Their only win at Old Trafford came against Ipswich. Mainoo had started five of the seven league games and was one of their highest-rated players, so his absence leaves Tielemans and Baleba with a lot to do in midfield.
What works for or against Man United
- Bryan Mbeumo has four league goals.
- One more day of rest than Bournemouth after Wednesday's game.
- Seven matches without a win, the club's longest run since 2015.
- Mainoo and Shaw are out.
Bournemouth Team News & Preview
Marco Rose’s side have won only one of their seven league games, but their recent performances have been much better than that. Bournemouth’s underlying numbers are far better than their league position: 1.76 expected goals for and only 1.16 against per league game, against an actual goal difference of 9:13. Since the 5-1 defeat at Chelsea they have beaten Sturm Graz, Sunderland and Milan by a combined 8-0.
Marcus Tavernier has four league goals, and Evanilson has created four for his team-mates. They will miss Scott in midfield, and they have not yet won away from home in the league. The recent meetings with United suit them, though: Bournemouth won 3-0 at Old Trafford in December 2024 and have drawn all three league meetings since, 1-1, 4-4 and 2-2.
What works for or against Bournemouth
- Three straight wins and three clean sheets.
- Unbeaten in their last five league meetings with United.
- No away league win yet this season.
- Alex Scott, their top-rated player, is out.
Man United vs Bournemouth Odds
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Man United Form, Stats & Data
United’s team rating is higher than their league position suggests, and they have controlled possession in most games. The issue is that they have not been able to keep teams out: no clean sheets in seven league games, and the Como defeat showed how open they can look when the press is beaten. Fernandes is still their best-rated player, so his relationship with the staff matters on the pitch as well.
Bournemouth Form, Stats & Data
Bournemouth have created more and conceded less than their results show, and they get as many shots on target per game as United. Scott is their best-rated player, though, and his absence takes some quality out of midfield. That is one reason I would rather cover the draw than back them to win outright.
Man United vs Bournemouth: Prediction & Betting Tip
United have a stronger squad on paper, but they are in poor form and there is tension around the club. They have not won in seven games, are without Mainoo and Shaw, and are going into the weekend with their captain at odds with the coaching staff. Bournemouth’s numbers have been good for weeks, and their results have finally started to match them. Their recent record in this fixture is also excellent.
United could get the classic reaction game: a home crowd, a manager fighting for his job and players who know they have to respond. Bournemouth also played on Thursday, a day after United, and they have not won away from home in the league. That is why I am covering the draw rather than backing them to win. I am backing Bournemouth Double Chance at 1.61 with Winz and expect a 1-1 draw.