Manchester United 0 West Ham 0
MANCHESTER // They are the scorelines that amount to an indictment of Louis van Gaal. Old Trafford’s last six games have finished 0-0, 0-0, 1-0, 2-0, 0-0 and 0-0. Six games, three goals. Six clean sheets, if Van Gaal wants to emphasise the positives, but there are precious few of those.
Manchester United were not always the byword for attacking excellence that some pretend, but they have rarely been this barren.
Of United’s many goalless draws, this was probably the most eventful. West Ham United hit the post twice inside 90 seconds while United had, and spurned, chances.
Of their 20 attempts, only one was on target. It was a wretched return but their impotence brought comparatively little dissent. Perhaps the Stretford End are simply accepting United’s inadequacies. Maybe Van Gaal has quietened his critics of his much-mentioned philosophy by sedating them.
United could attribute this stalemate to the absence of the injured Wayne Rooney but, after just two goals in his last 18 league games, they should not. Anthony Martial almost delivered a winner but his drought extended into an eighth game. Predictably, he showed signs of verve but, while his 20th birthday brought his time as a teenager to an end, he still represents a raw talent.
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Meanwhile, James Wilson and Javier Hernandez, strikers Van Gaal exiled, scored for Brighton and Bayer Leverkusen respectively. With every goal the Mexican delivers, it is apparent the fault did not lie with him.
United could benefit from someone with his sharpness, but Van Gaal would still have to select him and his team would need to supply him with chances. Neither seems likely.
Instead, the figure who loomed largest was one who, improbably, has come to epitomise Van Gaal’s United. Yet when Marouane Fellaini is the answer, perhaps the problem lies in the question.
The Dutchman has embarked on a season-long search for a No 10 and reverted to last year’s option. Fellaini is an imperfect 10 but the most suitable for this uninspired United team. Van Gaal talks of progress and a process, but United remain stuck at a level where their most effective No 10 is an infrequent scorer who lacks invention. Fellaini may hold United back, but his size at least allows them to play passes forward.
United’s No 10s have incorporated a central midfielder, in Ander Herrera. A striker, in Rooney. A creator, in Juan Mata. A winger, in Memphis Depay. And now a towering physical force, in Fellaini.
Their various differences illustrate the identity crisis at the heart of Van Gaal’s United. Many teams install their best player in the prestige position. United have a rotating cast, noted either for their limitations or Van Gaal’s reluctance to select them in their preferred role.
Fellaini is the least elegant option but he emerged as the most compelling. His was an idiosyncratic display, featuring aerial prowess, laboured running and reckless tackling. He is at least a focal point, giving them reasons to cross.
One header skimmed the bar. A second allowed Martial to swivel and shoot, requiring Winston Reid to make a brave block. Yet when the roles were reversed and the Frenchman found the Belgian for what seemed a tap-in, his shot was saved by Adrian. A better finisher would have scored.
Also on the debit side, but rather more reprehensibly, an over-the-top challenge on James Tomkins could conceivably have resulted in Fellaini’s dismissal. Remarkably, Mark Clattenburg did not even caution him.
United may claim fortune has deserted them in their drought, but this was a stroke of luck. Frustrating as this was for United, it could have been worse.
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