Manchester United have three forwards pushing for a place in the team after Bournemouth win

Ineffective attackers

Anthony Martial's face suggested an element of surprise when he was hooked just before the hour at Bournemouth. The Frenchman hadn't set the world alight but he had probably been the most dangerous forward on the pitch for United.

His hold-up play had been good and he'd bought others into the game, although he never really looked like scoring. He wasn't alone in that regard, however.

This was another anonymous display from Jadon Sancho, who gave the ball away with an aimless crossfield pass in the first half and just couldn't get any kind of rhythm going. He tried a flick through a defender's legs in front of Erik ten Hag just after the hour mark and conceded possession again.

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It was a similar story for Antony. On a couple of occasions, he had openings in the second half but he tried the same move every time, cutting inside and seeing his shot blocked. He also tried a rainbow flick in a dangerous area in the first half and lost the ball.

It was the Brazilian who gave the ball away that led to David Brooks' chance early in the second half and it was generally a poor afternoon for United's wingers. They were too casual, too loose and they would be punished by a better team, or a team that hadn't already secured their goal for the season.

Weghorst's impact

The paucity of United's play in attack was probably best summed up by the fact Wout Weghorst and Alejandro Garnacho looked their best forwards, playing half an hour and 20 minutes respectively.

Ten Hag looks short of attacking options off the bench at the moment, but Weghorst forced Neto into a good save, released Antony for a dangerous run and almost teed up Garnacho for a chance. United looked