'We need to match that' - Why Manchester United have lost control in games this season

Manchester United players need to up their work rate to match the opposition's intensity and athleticism, according to midfielder Scott McTominay.

United have suffered from a lack of control this season and their dismal record of 11 defeats and 11 wins from 23 games is pockmarked by games where they have fallen apart and gifted the opposition good opportunities.

That was the case again on Saturday, when Bournemouth strolled to a 3-0 success at Old Trafford to leave Erik ten Hag feeling the pressure ahead of Tuesday's crucial Champions League clash with Bayern Munich.

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Ten Hag has questioned the ability of his team to manage games at times, with several instances of goals being conceded in clusters or just after United have scored.

They have also found controlling games difficult and are regularly being exposed on the break, but McTominay has put that down to the opposition often working harder than United, while he also called on the players to come together on the pitch more often, rather than relying on instructions from the touchline.

"In the Premier League every team is super athletic, you play in the Champions League and every team can run. A lot of the time we need to match that and more whenever you’re playing for this football club," said the Scot.

"That’s been a clear message for all of us players on the pitch that we need to stick together sometimes, the manager can’t do too much on the sideline, it needs to come from the players and we need to stick together when we are on the pitch.

"With the ideas we’ve had and sometimes the way we’ve played has been amazing, it’s finding that