A night to forget as Louis van Gaal plan unravels again
The Europa League? It might as well be called the Sherpa Van Gaal Trophy, for all the romance that competition will generate for an increasingly disenchanted Stretford End.
Even allowing for the injuries, youth and inexperience which were all factors in their 3-2 defeat to Wolfsburg last night, United can have no complaints about a result which, ultimately, cast a harsh and unforgiving light on the sheer mind-numbing ordinariness of the current side.
Despite getting off to the best possible start with Martial’s opening goal in the 10th minute, United lacked the conviction and the wherewithal to go for more. Instead, they imploded defensively from a free-kick for Wolfsburg’s equaliser before a stunning move opened up the visitors’ rearguard with almost training ground ease to give the home side a deserved lead.
After that, it all got a bit silly, a cartoonish own goal briefly throwing United a Champions League lifeline only for the defence to self-destruct from another corner barely two minutes later to allow Naldo a free header for his second of the night.
And that was that — it might not have been one of those no-score bores United fans have come to abhor but it still meant that the one of great, historic names of European football departed this year’s competition in the group stage with a whimper rather than a bang.
Fourth place in the Premier League and just one victory off top spot might suggest that this is hardly crisis time at Old Trafford but the red devil is in the details. Just 10 goals conceded — the best defensive record in the top flight — is rudely offset by a clean sheet habit at the other end of the pitch, the result being that, with just 20 goals to their name, United are currently well behind leaders Leicester City on 32 along with Arsenal, Manchester City, Spurs, West Ham, Everton and Southampton in the scoring charts. In fact, United have notched just three more goals in 15 games than have second from bottom Sunderland.
The boos which rang around Old Trafford after last weekend’s scoreless draw with West Ham — United’s fifth in nine games —– made clear that while Louis van Gaal, like any other manager, is primarily in the results business, the faithful want something more from their heroes than a Manchester United version of ‘You’ll Never Beat The Irish’.
And especially when a far from exceptional side in Wolfsburg can actually score three to inflict a wounding defeat.
But the problem runs deeper than the lack of a finishing touch. Having announced his arrival at Old Trafford in glorious style, goals have dried up for Anthony Martial on the domestic front but that surely has almost everything to do with the lack of quality service he is receiving. As he proved last night when putting away Mata’s defence-splitting pass — in what was a rare moment of real class from United — the 20-year-old has the creativity, the confidence and the composure to do the business.
The real problem area for United is in central midfield where the glory days of Keane and Scholes seem almost sepia-tinted now when compared to the chronic lack of flair and imagination offered in Germany last night by Schweinsteiger, Fellaini and Carrick.
Europe’s most prestigious prize is gone for another season. Remarkably, the Premier League is still within sight— but that probably tells you as much about their rivals as it does about United.
The Theatre of Dreams was never meant to be the Theatre of Snores.
