Ten Hag received a score of 3.

The Manchester Evening News gave Erik ten Hag a rating of 3, the lowest in Manchester United's 0-3 defeat to Bournemouth in the 16th round of the Premier League.

"Continuing to rotate the attacking line puts Man Utd at a disadvantage. Anthony Martial shouldn't be playing for Man Utd anymore. Making a change too late," the newspaper assessed.

In this match, Ten Hag deployed Martial as the furthest forward in a three-man attack, supported by Alejandro Garnacho and Antony. This strategy was clearly ineffective, as Man Utd controlled 69% of the possession but had fewer shots on goal than their opponents (7 compared to 8). Their number of shots on target was also lower (3 compared to 4).

As a result, for the first time in history, Man Utd lost to a team in the bottom half of the table by three goals at Old Trafford.

Ten Hag before Manchester United's 0-3 defeat to Bournemouth at Old Trafford on December 9th. Photo: PA

Along with Ten Hag, Martial also received a 3, with the comment: "The owner of one of his two harmless shots on target before halftime. Martial is a mediocre version of Rasmus Hojlund and was on the pitch for less than an hour."

The remaining Man Utd players all received a score of 4 or 5, none higher. Those who received a score of 4 included Andre Onana, Diogo Dalot, Sergio Reguilon, Scott McTominay, Sofyan Amrabat and Bruno Fernandes. Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw, Antony and Garnacho received a score of 5.

Man Utd lost a total of 18 matches in 2023. This is their most defeats in a single year since 1989. After the match, Fernandes was tasked with giving interviews to the press, and the Man Utd captain also expressed his disappointment.

"We lacked many things, so we didn't get the result we wanted," the Portuguese midfielder commented. "Everything was below par compared to the previous game. When you face a team like Bournemouth, who play directly and proactively, they press and you think things will be easy, then you end up with a result like this."

Fernandes also suggested that Man Utd lack creativity and movement, leaving them without enough players in the penalty area whenever they attack. The 29-year-old midfielder believes Man Utd lack consistency and need to improve if they want to achieve good results this season.

Next week, Fernandes and his teammates will face Bayern in their final group stage match of the Champions League. Sitting at the bottom of the table, they need a win and hope Galatasaray draw with Copenhagen to qualify for the next round.

Duy Doan (according to Manchester Evening News )

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