Erik ten Hag is failing to solve a problem Manchester United are constantly repeating

Manchester United are perpetually stuck in a cycle that consists of taking one step forward and then two steps back.

Saturday's 3-0 defeat to Bournemouth at Old Trafford was not the scoreline that had anyone envisioned after the manner of Wednesday night's 2-1 triumph over Chelsea. Goals either side of half-time from Dominic Solanke, Philip Billing and Marcos Senesi sealed a historic win for the Cherries, condemning United to a result Gary Neville described as 'abysmal' in a social media post.

United, though they didn't do too much wrong between both boxes, were well beaten by a side that so nearly dropped out of the English Football League as recently as 2009. Bournemouth fans chanted "We want four, we want four," and they did, until VAR intervened, get a fourth.

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Though 3-0 did not read quite as harrowingly as 4-0 would have, it still marked one of the most damaging results of Erik ten Hag's premiership so far. United's stellar home record from last season is now becoming a distant memory.

After losing just one league game at Old Trafford in the whole of last season, United have now lost four league games on their own patch before we have even reached the halfway stage of this campaign. Only Burnley (7), Sheffield United (6), Crystal Palace (5) and Everton (5) have lost more home games in the Premier League so far this term.

One of the biggest differences between United's home record this season and last is that they are failing to impose themselves on the opposition, get their noses in front and keep the back door shut. Solanke's fifth minute opener meant United trailed at half-time at Old