Manchester United will play in the group stages of the Europa League next season despite a routine victory over AFC Bournemouth in the 380th and final game of the 2015/16 Premier League season.
The match – which was re-scheduled due to fears over a suspected bomb package inside the stadium on Sunday – was characterised by a poor first half, crying out loud for a moment of quality.
United responded to the appeals of the scant Old Trafford crowd in the 42nd minute when captain Wayne Rooney finished off a wonderful display of team passing.
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They upped the intensity in the second half, creating chance after chance against a tiring Cherries defence. They ultimately sealed the tie on 75 minutes, when Marcus Rashford thumped home from an Antonio Valencia header from 16 yards out.
The finishing gloss was applied 3 minutes from the end of the game as Ashley Young pounced on a fantastic clipped pass from Rooney to score his side’s third. Chris Smalling’s own-goal in injury time cruelly denied David de Gea the clean-sheet that would have given him the Golden Glove.
The result means that Louis van Gaal’s side finish level on points with Manchester City in fourth, but with a vastly inferior goal difference as compared to their rivals – meaning that United miss out on Champions League football for the second time in three seasons.
We take a look at the 5 talking points that shaped up a game low on consequence:
1) Thousands of empty seats reflect inconsequentiality of the game
Sunday’s result between Swansea and Manchester City meant that United could no longer overhaul their derby rivals to the last available spot in the Champions League – unless they beat the Cherries by a margin of 19 goals or more.
Therefore, it was a hardly a surprise to witness a sea of red seats at kick-off – reflecting the general disinterestedness of this particular fixture. With no signs of a code-red alert and the mild turnout, it was a relaxed evening for the security personnel at Old Trafford, unlike the chaotic scenes on Sunday.
2) A poor first-half
The first-half had the very feeling of both teams going through the motions with nothing realistic to play for. Manchester United, as usual, were dominant on the ball without managing to produce the finishing touch. They kept trying the same tactic of switching play to either side of the wing to test the two fullbacks but Steve Cook and Charlie Daniels looked up to the task.
Bournemouth barely had the ball and had a shot blocked but that was that. Most of them were on post-season holiday mood having already secured their league status a few weeks ago. It needed some teamwork of the highest quality by the home side to breach the Cherries defence in the 42nd minute and wake up a sparse Old Trafford crowd.
3) Wayne Rooney’s 100th goal at Old Trafford
Despite naming a strong line-up, skipper Wayne Rooney seemed to be the only Manchester United player who was keen to pick a pass and bring life into a dead rubber. He was duly rewarded in the 42nd minute when he grabbed the opportunity to tap-in following a dazzling passing move by Louis van Gaal’s side.
It started from Juan Mata, who delivered a quick pass to Anthony Martial. The Frenchman crossed into the box, following which young sensation Marcus Rashford showed great awareness by stepping over the ball, so that Rooney was presented with the simplest of finishes to give United the lead. That strike was also Rooney’s 100th league goal at Old Trafford, making him the first ever player to do so.
This was also Wayne Rooney’s first goal in more than three months since netting against Stoke on 2 February. He played an integral role in the second goal and assisted the third for substitute Ashley Young. A complete performance from the captain and another outing which suggests that the number 10 role suits him the best going into the future.
4) Should Mata have won a penalty in the 52nd minute?
Perhaps the most controversial moment of an otherwise serene game came early in the second half when playmaker Juan Mata was tripped by defender Steve Cook after being put through on goal by Anthony Martial. Referee Jonathan Moss adjudged that Mata went down too easily under pressure from Cook.
However, replays showed that it was a professional foul and a definite penalty for the home side. For denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity, Cook might even have been given his marching orders had the decision gone against him, so it was a double reprieve as far as the Cherries’ centre-back was concerned.
5) Should Marcus Rashford start at the Euros?
Rashford has been selected as part of the provisional squad. Based on his performance in this game, he should definitely be part of the 23 who will make the journey to France.
He played a pivotal role in the opening goal – doing a stepover for Anthony Martial’s cross to land on a plate on Wayne Rooney. Rashford then finished off a move he started himself in the 75th minute – passing to Wayne Rooney, whose cross to Antonio Valencia was knocked down for the young striker.Rashford then slid home from around 16 yards to score his eighth goal of the season and capped off a magnificent three months at the highest level.
Roy Hodgson, are you watching?
