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| Bournemouth were the latest team to expose the weaknesses in Manchester United |
LOUIS VAN GAAL needs no reminder, but Glenn Murray's damning assessment of Saturday's line-up articulated Manchester United's current plight.
It's a stark illustration of United's problems that a glance at the team-sheet inspired hope, not fear, among Murray and his Bournemouth team-mates, no matter how much Van Gaal's hand had been forced by injuries and suspension.
And as much as the United manager attempts to benchmark his side's progress, the inescapable fact is that the Dutchman - for all the club's vast expenditure during recent transfer windows - is currently in charge of an imbalanced, incomplete squad.
On Saturday, the most glaring weaknesses lay at the back where two young full-backs were making their first Premier League starts alongside a raw centre-back. But problems further forward - problems that have become all too familiar this season - ensured Van Gaal's side were unable to compensate for defensive frailties.
Coming on the back of Tuesday's Champions League exit at Wolfsburg a second defeat - the fifth successive game without a win in all competitions - could hardly have come at a worse time. Murray insisted, though, it should not have come as a surprise.
"When you see a back four like that, you almost have to fancy your chances," said Murray, the Bournemouth striker.
"It's a very different United line-up to what we are used to over the years. So as soon as we have seen that, and obviously on the back of the confidence of last week - and they had a very difficult game in Europe this week - with all the factors, we really fancied ourselves."
That was apparent from the second minute when United keeper David De Gea allowed Junior Stanislas' corner to drift into the net.
Marouane Fellaini equalised midway through the first half but former United youngster Josh King made the most of shocking marking at a 54th-minute corner to secure the home side's victory.
Bournemouth skipper Simon Francis added: "I don't think they have that aura any more.
"We looked at their team, especially their back four, and knew we could exploit that while staying wary of their front three, who always looked dangerous.
"We knew we could catch them cold and it came down to the bit of inexperience they had in their team, especially in the back four."
Defeat meant Van Gaal's side missed the chance to move level on points with Manchester City at the top of the table on Saturday night. And with just three wins in their last 12 games the current trend is concerning, particularly given Van Gaal's insistence his side must win their next three games if they are to remain in the title race.
"It's been a very disappointing week," said Michael Carrick. "Going out of the Champions League was obviously tough to take and we were very disappointed.
"And then to come here, we wanted to bounce back, we tried to bounce back, and to fall short like we have is doubly disappointing.
"I could say different reasons, I could talk a lot, but at the end of the day it's about the results. We need to stick together and trust ourselves to do the right thing and bounce back next week.
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| Van Gaal and Eddie Howe shake hands but Bournemouth's 2-1 win mounts more pressure on the Dutch boss |
"I don't like making excuses, we've got the squad, we're the club that we are because we want to be fighting in the competitions. When you've got injuries you've got to deal with them so I'm not making excuses."
Acknowledging his side's reduced fear factor, Carrick added: "That comes with winning games. We need to get back to winning games."
Bournemouth's achievement in first winning at Chelsea and then beating United is outstanding in its own right. Placed in the context of their recent history - this was the sixth anniversary of a 5-0 defeat at Morecambe in League Two - it becomes even more impressive.
"Someone reminded me of that earlier," said manager Eddie Howe. "That was a terrible game. It does show how far the club's come.
"Not in your wildest dreams could you have ever imagined when I was standing there watching that that we would be beating Manchester United in the Premier League. It's not possible. So it really does prove what can happen in football."
Howe paid tribute to Harry Arter after the midfielder played following the loss of his baby daughter last week.
"Football was a secondary thought," added the manager. "It was just about Harry's own well-being and I am delighted to see how brave he is in coping with the tragedy. He is certainly going to need more support throughout the weeks to come."
BOURNEMOUTH (4-5-1): Boruc 8; Smith 7, Cook 7, Francis 8, Daniels 7; Ritchie 7, Surman 7, Arter 8 (O'Kane 86), Gosling 8, Stanislas 8; King 9 (Murray 65). Booked: Boruc, Arter. Goals: Stanislas 2, King 54. NEXT UP: West Brom (a) Sat, PL.
MAN UTD (4-2-3-1): De Gea 5; Varela 6, McNair 5 (Jones 90), Blind 4, Borthwick-Jackson 6; Carrick 6, Fellaini 6 (Powell 74, 6); Lingard 6 (Pereira 31, 6), Mata 7, Depay 5; Martial 4. Booked: Pereira. Goal: Fellaini 24. NEXT UP: Norwich (h) Sat, PL.
REFEREE: A Taylor.
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