Ruben Amorim has insisted he does not need to strengthen Manchester United's defence despite conceding four goals in a frantic 4-4 draw with Bournemouth at Old Trafford. The contest saw United take the lead three times, only to be pegged back each time, with three late second-half goals between minutes 77 and 84.
Amad Diallo put United ahead just before the quarter-hour, but Antoine Semenyo equalised on 40 minutes. Casemiro restored the lead on 45+4, only for Evalinson to level less than a minute into the second half. Marcus Tavernier then made it 3-2 to the visitors on 52 minutes before Bruno Fernandes's free-kick made it 3-3. Substitute Eli Junior Kroup's leveller cancelled out Matheus Cunha's strike that had put United 4-3 ahead.
Mistakes by Luke Shaw and Diogo Dalot led to goals, while questionable positioning by Ayden Heaven and Leny Yoro allowed Evalinson's finish. Tavernier's free-kick also benefited from a faulty wall. Despite these errors, Amorim backed his defenders. 'We have talent at the back and quality players, we just have to have better defending,' he said.
The head coach pointed to naivety regarding losing the lead three times. 'It is understanding the moments of the game. We need to start the second half in a different way,' he added. Amorim noted that United should have scored more in the first half, saying, 'You think we lost the two points in the second half, but I think we lost the two points in the first half.'
Off the pitch, Kobbie Mainoo's half-brother, Jordan Kwadwo Osei Mainoo-Hames, wore a 'Free Kobbie Mainoo' T-shirt to the game and posted the image on Instagram. Mainoo came on after 60 minutes for Casemiro, but Amorim is yet to start the midfielder in any of United's 16 Premier League games this season.
