Manchester United defender Luke Shaw says “belief and confidence” are back at Old Trafford after they stretched their Premier League winning streak to six games with a comfortable victory over a helpless Bournemouth. extended.
Midfielder Casemiro put Erik ten Hague’s side ahead halfway through the first half with a beautifully cushioned volley from Christian Eriksen’s free-kick.
They doubled their lead four minutes into the second period as Shaw, once again playing in his more accustomed left-back role, cut back to Alejandro Garnacho to complete a beautiful free-flowing move.
Marcus Rashford then tapped into an empty net following Bruno Fernandes’ pass to score for the first time in three successive Old Trafford league games.
“The steps we’re taking are going in the right direction that we want,” Shaw said. “There is still a lot to improve but things are looking really good and positive.
“We feel like the belief and confidence is back, and you can feel it around the place, not just with the players and the staff but you can feel it around the stadium and the fans.
“Hopefully they’re enjoying it at the moment but I think there’s a lot more to come and hopefully we’ll continue to put smiles on people’s faces.”
United started slowly, with plenty of possession in their defensive third but, once they found the opener, a seventh straight home win in all competitions never felt in doubt.
They remain fourth, but join third-placed Newcastle on 35 points, and perhaps most importantly, have opened up a five-point cushion over fifth-placed Tottenham.
A negative for United was an injury to midfielder Donnie van de Beek in the first half, with ten Hague saying “we have to wait 24 hours, but it’s not looking too good”.
Bournemouth, who failed to get a shot on target until the 57th minute, finished 15th, two points clear of the relegation places.
Casemiro sees United always looking to improve.
£70m man Casemiro has taken time to make his mark at Old Trafford, with the 30-year-old not starting any of his first seven Premier League games since joining from Real Madrid.
Questions have been asked about whether he was a signing for Ten Hague, but he has started the Reds’ last 10 Premier League games – a run that has included seven wins and two draws, including defeat at Aston Villa. .
His finish, a cushioned volley from seven yards, was a touch of class. He got in behind the Bournemouth defence, opened his body and headed Eriksen’s pinpoint cross into the top left corner.
He broke the game open after a tentative start and it allowed Shaw to score a brilliant end-to-end goal. The England left-back started on the edge of his own box before slotting home from the penalty spot.
Rashford then provided the easiest finish for his fourth goal in four games since resuming after the World Cup.
United host neighbors Man City in their next league game on January 14, and could end the game above their city rivals, which would be a strong indication of the improvement under Ten Hague.
Yet the Holland player was unhappy with his side’s display, saying: “It wasn’t our best game today. We have to be honest, we didn’t play smart enough as a team.
“We scored a lot of good goals, but we were quite lucky at times, and some great saves from David [de Gea]. We could have been smarter as a team.”
Nervous times for Bournemouth
Games against the likes of United will not decide Bournemouth’s Premier League future, but manager Gary O’Neill wanted a response after the “worst” performance of his reign against Crystal Palace on New Year’s Eve.
Speaking to BBC Match of the Day after the match, O’Neill said “that was us”, adding that he was “delighted with the performance”.
“It wasn’t a 3-0 game,” O’Neill said. “I think we had six or seven chances but obviously Manchester United had a few too.
“We need to make sure we produce it every week.”
Having restricted United in the opening exchanges, conceding from a set-piece would have frustrated O’Neil, as a goal would have been so close to his half-time team talk.
The second goal seemed to wake Bournemouth up, with three shots on target in a minute, but the south coast will surely be in doubt, despite new chairman Bill Foley last week saying the Cherries had “not moved”. Despite the insistence of
Funds are available for new players in the January transfer window, and a creative spark is likely to feature high on O’Neil’s wish-list with the Cherries looking toothless for a long time.
