Kobbie Mainoo and Bruno Fernandes exchange highlights Manchester United problem

The main talking points and highlights as Man Utd drew 2-2 against Bournemouth in the Premier League.

Manchester United drew 2-2 against Bournemouth in the Premier League on Saturday evening.

Bournemouth took the lead through Dominic Solanke just 15 minutes into the game and could have extended their lead after that, but Bruno Fernandes hit back on the half-hour.

Fernandes volleyed home after some excellent work from Alejandro Garnacho down the wing. But Bournemouth's lead was restored just moments later.

The points were eventually shared thanks to Fernandes' penalty in the second half. Here are the main talking points from the match.

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The midfield is a problem

When United won against Liverpool in the FA Cup quarter-final, there was a moment in the first half when Dominik Szoboszlai broke forward in acres of space.

A still image quickly went viral on social media and it only wasn't a prominent post-match talking point because Liverpool were defeated in dramatic circumstances. The space between the defensive line and the midfield has been a problem all season and the pockets which the opposition exploit are big enough for a bus to be parked.

Unsurprisingly, Bournemouth took advantage of that repeat failing. It felt like Kobbie Mainoo was the only person in midfield at times, with Fernandes so high and Casemiro a passenger.

The midfield is completely dysfunctional and when Bournemouth scored their second, Fernandes and Mainoo held an inquest as they walked back for the restart.

It was an amicable, natural discussion between two players after conceding but it did feel symbolic of the issues. Both were searching for answers and it's ultimately Ten Hag's responsibility to ensure the team's structure isn't so easily penetrated.

The problem is it's groundhog day when analysing United.

Casemiro has become a passenger

Casemiro enjoyed an exceptional first season in Manchester but his second at the club has been disastrous and he's become the player most fans feared United were signing.

When he returned from a hamstring injury in January, his challenge for the remainder of the campaign was to prove he could still contribute but he's continued to regress. He's now starting by default and surely, would have been dropped if there was a suitable alternative.

The irony is United paid a £10million loan fee to sign Sofyan Amrabat and he's been sporadically used, despite a stark drop off in Casemiro's performances. It's a damning indictment of Amrabat that he can still not get a sniff when Casemiro is playing so poorly. Mason Mount will also feel aggrieved.

Casemiro couldn't watch when Fernandes took the penalty and turned his back. He recently said United give him sleepless nights - there will be a few more of those.

European challenge

Newcastle's win over Tottenham before the game increased the pressure on United. Defeats for English sides in European competition earlier in the week mean a fifth-placed Premier League finish likely won't be good enough for a Champions League slot.

United needed to win against Bournemouth and could only muster a draw. Ten Hag has reiterated United will fight until the end of the season for Champions League qualification, but time is running out and just six league games remain. Aston Villa, who sit in fourth, are 10 points ahead and that gap looks increasingly difficult to close.

Antony's momentum disrupted

Antony was missing at Bournemouth due to an injury. Most fans would have preferred him to start over Rashford given his impressive performance against Chelsea and bright cameo against Liverpool last weekend, so it was a shame to see his momentum disrupted when it felt like he could finally turn a corner.

The Brazilian has looked a fraction of an £86million player and while that price tag will never be vindicated, he's shown signs of life in recent weeks. Whether he can turn his time in Manchester around remains to be seen.

He's contributed 10 goals and five assists in 77 appearances and that's not good enough. If United progress to the FA Cup final, there are eight games left in all competitions and time is running out for Antony to end the campaign on a positive note.

The kids are alright

There was no room in the matchday squad for Jack Kingdon, who trained with the first-team on Friday, but promising forward Ethan Wheatley was given the opportunity to travel.

Wheatley has eight goals and two assists in just seven league appearances for the Under-18s this season and notched a hat-trick against rivals Liverpool last weekend.

Harry Amass was included in the senior matchday squad at Old Trafford last Sunday and Habeeb Ogunneye has now made four squads in the Premier League. Although those youngsters are unlikely to feature from the bench when involved, the experience of being around the first-team environment is invaluable.

The milestone of the 250th player from the academy to make their senior debut will be reached imminently and Ten Hag's promotion of youth deserves praise. However, Louis van Gaal gave 14 debuts to players from the academy and that still wasn't enough to keep his job.