Player ratings: AFC Bournemouth 1-3 Manchester United

David de Gea: 7

Looked to be set fair for one of those "did all he had to do; couldn't do much with the goal" days, until Bournemouth mustered a late flurry and he rose to the challenge. It's just so comforting to have him there.

Antonio Valencia: 7

Has started the season very well, albeit he hasn't really been tested defensively yet. But as an overlapping, attack-supporting fullback, he's been reborn by United's decision to try running forwards this season, and having a big striker in the box to fire crosses at also suits him nicely.

Eric Bailly: 8

Another game, another coveted The Busby Babe Favourite Player of the Afternoon/Evening Award. At some point, he's definitely getting sent off for being a complete spanner. Until then, he's both effective and fun. And asking for any more would be greedy.

Daley Blind: 6

Left a little flatfooted for Bournemouth's (admittedly excellent) goal, but tidy enough otherwise. There's something stylistically appealing about a partnership of Bailly and Daley: the former doing all the traditional central defensive things, turned up to 11; the latter strolling around doing everything else.

Luke Shaw: 5

Also a little defensively wobbly, most notably when he passed the ball to a Bournemouth forward inside his own area. Never a good look. Going forward, though, there are encouraging hints that he might be coming back to his former, destructive self. (A bit odd, writing that about a 21-year-old, but you know what we mean.)

Marouane Fellaini: 6

Fellaini ... was ... good? Certainly okay. Did pretty well at the defensive side of his duties, breaking up play and keeping things tidy, and managed not to elbow anybody in the head. Still prone to occasional technical lapses, however; for the backpass he underhit last week, this week read the utterly absymal through ball that he, late on, sent somewhere vaguely in the direction of Memphis Depay.

Ander Herrera: 7

Perhaps we're just biased monsters, but of United's two deeper-lying midfielders, we thought Ander Herrera was the pick. This is partly because he managed to lend his natural energy with the discipline the role requires but mostly because of the wonderful curving pass he sent fully sixty yards through a congested midfield and onto the outside of Anthony Martial's boot. Sensual.

Juan Mata: 7

For a man with a broken spirit who's about to be slung out of the club, he had a pretty good game. He's never going to be a particularly quick or muscular option on the right, but he offers plenty when roaming in from the flank, enabling the midfield to keep possession when waiting for the gaps to appear. And he works hard, which is what earned him the opening goal. Well, that and some outrageously awful defending.

Wayne Rooney: 3 11

His first touch is still miserable, necessitating a second, third and fourth; his movement is still sluggish and pedestrian; his passing is still predictable and uninspired; his performance was, once again, the worst of any United player; and he is, once again, the most disposable of any United player. He did a goal! He did a goal with his head! Give him a new contract! Get a statue up!

Anthony Martial: 4

Last season's silver-lining is making a slow start to this one, which is perhaps understandable given that some no-mark from Ligue 1 just strolled in and took his squad number. The cheek of the man. Thinks he owns the place.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic: 8

Going to be good fun, this. There's an obvious anti-synergy between Rooney and Ibrahimovic, since the former simply lacks the pace to exploit the latter's tendency to drop deep, and there's still work to be done in joining all the parts of United's attack together. But the big Swede still managed to deliver his partner a golden, should-have-scored chance with a flying outside-of-the-foot flick, open his Premier League account from 20 yards, and nearly delete a central defender.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan (on for Mata, 75'): for just 15 minutes? nah

All the cool kids spent the summer saying "Pogba? Pfft. Zlatan? Schmlatan. Mkhitaryan's the one to watch out for." Which is why it's a bit odd that he hasn't started so far. We'll just assume that Mourinho's giving him time to get up to speed.

Morgan Schneiderlin (on for Martial, 85'): for just five minutes? nah

There was once a dream that was Manchester United playing Ander Herrera, Schneiderlin and Paul Pogba in a midfield three. You could only whisper it. Anything more than a whisper and it would vanish ... it was so fragile. And I fear that it will not survive the winter.

Memphis Depay (on for Rooney, 89'): for just one minute? nah

Going to break the Europa League into a thousand tiny pieces.

The Busby Babe would like to cordially remind you that taking marks out of ten too seriously can prove damaging to your health.