Manchester United were soundly defeated by Bournemouth, in stark contrast to Chelsea’s victory.

Erik ten Hag got lucky on Wednesday night, as Manchester United defeated Chelsea thanks to a brace from Scott McTominay.

Many plaudits followed McTominay, as is customary, before the identical tactical scheme fell short against a Bournemouth squad that aimed to expose it.

And this is the issue with playing McTominay that far up the pitch: you can’t do it while also playing Bruno Fernandes.

Manchester United’s midfield issues have persisted all season. Mason Mount played high with Fernandes in the first two games of the season, leaving Casemiro exhausted and exposed.

The same thing happened to Sofyan Amrabat against Bournemouth, as the Moroccan and United’s defense were outplayed by a clever away side who took their chances.

McTominay and Fernandes like to cause havoc in the last third, therefore this is where they need to be and are most of the time. This can only be accommodated with a four or five man midfield, not three forwards.

Playing McTominay high up the pitch works if he scores, but that is all that matters. He has nothing else to give the team.

Ten Hag wants McTominay on the team because of his scoring ability, and he wants Fernandes because of his inventiveness and because he is the captain. They should not, however, be playing together in this system, otherwise we will see more results like these. It’s high-risk football from a squad that should be in control rather than continually balancing on a tightrope and praying for the best.

Unless Ten Hag is willing to take the risk of playing McTominay as a striker, combining Fernandes and McTominay in the same XI should be a no-go.

Bruno Fernandes has been suspended for the match against Liverpool after receiving his fifth yellow card of the season.

This has actually done Erik ten Hag a huge favor and rescued him from himself, since he would have undoubtedly selected McTominay and Fernandes, and United’s midfield would have been ripped to bits once more.

Now he must evaluate other possibilities, which might include chosen Sofyan Amrabat and Kobbie Mainoo, who would provide the squad with a better midfield base.

The pair has a lot of potential together, but they have yet to play together since Ten Hag has been attempting to fit McTominay and Fernandes into the same side.

Ten Hag’s plans at Anfield are simplified by the suspension, as he no longer has to pick between the two.

Of course, he might not accept his own ‘get out of jail free card,’ and he might put Mason Mount in the mix with McTominay if the Englishman is fit.

Winning at Anfield requires a certain amount of risk, but following last year’s disastrous result, a more cautious approach is essential.