Archive December 16, 2025

A remarkable, chaotic, mesmerising Premier League thriller at Old Trafford captured the imagination even of the clinical operators in the dugout.

“Really difficult to explain,” said Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola. “But I prefer 4-4 to 0-0.”

“Fun,” was Manchester United counterpart Ruben Amorim’s initial observation.

Analysing for Sky Sports, Jamie Carragher went further.

“The best game of the Premier League season so far,” said the former England and Liverpool defender. “It was almost a throwback to Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United with attacking football.

“It is the best I have seen Man Utd. For the majority of the game, they were absolutely fantastic.

“For the first time under Amorim – and first time in a long time – I felt like I was watching what Man Utd are supposed to be. Wave after wave attack, but the inability to defend has hurt them.”

For the record, Ferguson took charge of two games when United scored four and didn’t win.

The first was a significant factor in his side’s failure to win the 2012 title as United threw away a 4-2 lead and drew 4-4 with Everton at Old Trafford.

The other was Ferguson’s very last match, an extraordinary 5-5 draw at West Brom in 2013.

Amorim has a very long road ahead before he can be compared to Ferguson.

But at least, on a night when his side led twice in the first half, then fought back to get their noses in front again after conceding two in a matter of minutes at the start of the second, and finally had to settle for a point as Bournemouth finished the stronger, he understood what everyone had witnessed.

In a vibrant first half, the hosts’ had the highest non-penalty xG value (2.49), most shots (17) and joint-most touches in the opposition’s box (30) of any side in the opening 45 minutes of a Premier League match this season.

“If you understand a little bit,” Amorim said. “If you follow the club like I follow the Premier League for so long, you [know you] have not just the duty to try to win the games. The way you try to win the games is so important for the fans.

“Of course they are desperate to win, but also, I feel that they are desperate to be inspired when they come to Old Trafford.

Former United captain Gary Neville agreed – kind of.

“It might not be the greatest Man Utd team, and they might have problems at the back, but you can recognise it,” he said.

“It was a crazy game. The defences have been obliterated. It was absolute madness.”

Neville was part of United sides who gambled to try to win rather than protect what they had. Ferguson regarded it as a key element of his managerial philosophy.

The modern-day team are not at that level.

And now, they have a problem.

This result means they have taken two points from three home league games most observers expected them to win.

They have kept just one clean sheet in their 15 Premier League games this season, with only bottom side Wolves keeping fewer.

They have also just had six shutouts in 42 games under Ruben Amorim.

Now they go to in-form Aston Villa not only without opening goalscorer Amad Diallo and dangerman Bryan Mbeumo, who join already absent Noussair Mazraoui on Africa Cup of Nations duty, but also missing veteran midfielder Casemiro, who serves a one-match ban after picking up his fifth yellow card of the season.

There was no hint at good news either over absent defensive pair Harry Maguire and Matthijs de Ligt.

“We’ll be ready for the challenge,” Amorim assured United’s legion of fans.

“We already knew a lot of teams are going to lose players, a lot of teams have injuries.

“We just need to go for the next game with the responsibility to fight and win the game.”

Even during the game there was debate around how much Amorim tweaked his 3-4-2-1 system.

Former Republic of Ireland international defender Jim Beglin, covering the game for the Premier League’s worldwide television feed, felt it was significant. Others felt it was slight, until Lisandro Martinez came on for Leny Yoro in the second-half and United definitely reverted to a flat back four.

The key was Amad, who was pushed further forward and instead of dropping into a wide defensive role in the first half hour, instead was inside Leny Yoro, who took the right-back slot.

Iraola, whose own side reverted to five at the back after USA international Tyler Adams suffered a first-minute injury, felt it was “the same system they always play but they adapt. It is a very flexible system”.

Amorim, who once said he wouldn’t change the system even if the Pope asked him to, wasn’t even getting into a debate.

“That is for you to discuss, not me,” he said. “I know that you guys know I trained this week with a back four but it is for you to discuss this week.

In the aftermath of Rangers’ narrow win over Hibernian, former striker and coach Billy Dodds said: “This is turning into a fascinating title race with how many teams are involved in it.”

When Danny Rohl was appointed as Rangers head coach on 20 October, a title race was one of the furthest things from their fans’ mind.

They were still recovering from watching their former boss Russell Martin get bundled into the back of a getaway car at Falkirk following a 1-1 draw which left them eighth in the Scottish Premiership, 11 points off leaders Hearts and just four points above bottom side Aberdeen.

In between that embarrassment and the German’s unveiling, Steven Smith oversaw a 2-2 meet with Dundee United that left Rangers 13 points adrift of the summit.

Their latest win on Monday, the sixth since Rohl came in, moved the Ibrox side up to third and nine points off Hearts – who they visit on Sunday – with a game in hand.

“Rangers deserved the win, they’re putting a run together now,” Dodds said on BBC Sportsound.

“It’s a vital three points, they were pragmatic how they went about it.

It was far from a magic Monday under the Ibrox lights. Much more, get the job done and up the road.

But Rangers will, rightly, take that all day long for now.

For much of the first half, they were second best to a Hibs side who came flying out the traps before taking fright at the sight of the final third.

David Gray’s side built from the back in abundance, exploited the swathes of space their hosts allowed them in midfield, but yanked the handbrake in the face of a Rangers defence who were there to be tested.

It was “the theme of the night” which frustrated Gray, who was looking to guide Hibs to back-to-back league wins in Govan for the first time since 2018, but something which the Ibrox side capitalised upon.

When Emmanuel Fernandez flicked on from Dujon Sterling’s sublime cross, it was an action completely against the run of play.

It didn’t quite light a spark among the Rangers ranks, but it provided them with something to protect, which they ended up doing so with relatively little fuss.

“It was not always the nicest football but we are finding a way to win games,” Rohl told BBC Scotland after his side secured a fifth clean sheet.

“I’d like us to be more clinical. I’m happy with the points but, of course, we have to improve. It’s step by step and for me it’s about winning games.

It is a win that sets up a humdinger of a match with Hearts at Tynecastle on Sunday.

Derek McInnes’ league leaders had lost their way a little, but a statement victory over Celtic, backed up by a gritty win against Falkirk in horrendous conditions at the weekend re-emphasised their title credentials.

When the sides last met in September, Hearts’ victory at Ibrox – their first since 2014 – moved them three points clear at the top of the table as Martin became the first Ibrox manager to fail to win any of his first five league games in 47 years.

The mood music has changed a bit around Rangers since then thanks to the stability and pragmatism Rohl has brought to the club, at least in the league, where he remains unbeaten.

Seldom does he speak to the media without mentioning the need to take “a step forward” no matter how big or small.

Should they leave Gorgie with points in tow, though, it will be something of a leap.

“We have to be brave,” Rohl added. “When we play forward instead of backwards, then I think we have more than enough quality to hurt all opponents in the league.

“Let’s see [how Sunday’s game goes].

“We make it a good game, put all the effort in and everyone knows what’s in the game.

Alex: First and foremost is to win. Performances come next. Achieving wins generates confidence as well. Rather get win playing poorly than losing and playing well.

Alastair: Don’t quite know what to say to that, horrible to watch but keep on winning. Given I cheered anti-football all the way to the UEFA Cup final, I guess I need to find a way to accept our new normal and get behind what’s happening at the big house.

Gavin: Scrappy game, but Danny Rohl’s Rangers keep rolling on. He keeps on winning, and that’s all that matters. No whiteboard needed, just a level head.

Derek: Three points but another slow, lethargic performance. Where is all this fast flowing attacking football? On a positive note, good to see Dujon Sterling back, a great clearance off the line, then a quality cross for goal. Onwards and upwards.