Staff Takeaways: Bournemouth 2-2 Manchester United
Take the Point – Suwaid United were quite unfortunate not to get all three points yesterday. Bournemouth – never ones to sit back – left themselves quite open, but United didn’t take advantage in the first half. The second half was more even before inconsistent refereeing took centre stage, and as frustrating as that was, United […]
BOURNEMOUTH, ENGLAND - MARCH 20: Bruno Fernandes and Harry Maguire of Manchester United react towards Referee Stuart Attwell after Ryan Christie of AFC Bournemouth (not pictured) scores his team's first goal during the Premier League match between Bournemouth and Manchester United at Vitality Stadium on March 20, 2026 in Bournemouth, England. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images) | Getty Images Take the Point – Suwaid United were quite unfortunate not to get all three points yesterday. Bournemouth – never ones to sit back – left themselves quite open, but United didn’t take advantage in the first half.
The second half was more even before inconsistent refereeing took centre stage, and as frustrating as that was, United did well to hang on to the draw and go into gameweek 32 in third place. Even the two sides above United in the league have not been beacons of consistency this season. In fact, in the 10 games under Michael Carrick, United have earned 2.
3 points per game, which is above City’s 2. 03 and Arsenal’s 2. 25 per game for the season.
Michael Carrick’s starting XI could be questioned, and so could the recent performances under his management, but some perspective is necessary. This wasn’t a bad point. Can’t Afford to Switch Off – Colin I don’t like to blame referees for results, even in instances such as this where Stuart Atwell’s inconsistency and inaction likely kept United from going 2-0 and cruising three points closer to UEFA Champions League qualification.