Manchester United's Season So Far.

United's start to the season.

With the clubs on another forced break for the latest round of international matches I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to take stock of how United's season has been going so far.

The top of the Premier League is as close as it has been for a while with the top four clubs within a few points of each other and it has to be said that no team has taken this season by the scruff of the neck and turned the screw.

All the usual suspects in the mix for the race to be champions have not exactly had an easy ride as the teams who are usually considered inferior have turned out to be early season surprises. The likes of West Ham, Southampton and Leicester have produced displays far above their usual level and have earned the right to be up there with the big boys.

As everyone in football tells us the league is never won in November and I expect those teams to fall away as the season progresses as their squads are nowhere near big enough to sustain a challenge. If players like Vardy, Mane or Sakho were to pick up serious injuries then that would throw the hammer in the works for their clubs.

Look at Man City and Liverpool who without Aguero and Sturridge respectively have lost that attacking threat in front of goal which has seen a mixed bag of results and, as a result, Liverpool replaced Rodgers with a manager that earned respect for the work he did with Dortmund, Jurgen Klopp.

Chelsea is the biggest surprise at the moment languishing in the lower reaches of the table with the pressure mounting on Mourinho after problems on and off the pitch. All the talent that they have and they are just not coming together as they did as champions last season. Costa is getting angrier with every match and injured Falcao looks to be another waste of time and money. Maybe they should replace Jose with Moyes, who is now a free agent after his sabbatical in Spain.

What about United, well overall we have to happy with the way things have gone so far. Sure there was another early exit from the League Cup, but sitting in fourth place where if results go our way after the break we could be top going into December and one win away from the knockout stage of the Champions League it's hard to complain, but complain we do.

There is still something lacking from van Gaal's style of play or his football philosophy that just doesn't seem to have clicked yet. There has been no settled system and recently he has reverted to a 4-4-2 formation that has paid dividends and one in which the players seem to prefer.

There can be no complaints about the defence. Once De Gea agreed on a deal and returned to the side in place of new keeper Romero plus the leadership qualities of Chris 'Mike' Smalling they brought stability to the rear guard. This has been proven by the fact that they haven't conceded a goal in the Premier League since the defeat at Arsenal at the beginning of October.

Smalling's partnership with Blind looks solid enough, however a new experienced centre-back will still be needed either in the January transfer window or in the summer to free up Blind for the midfield. Luke Shaw's injury was a huge blow as the England youngster was enjoying a great start to the season compared to last year. Rojo seems to be the best choice for cover at left-back.

On the other side Matteo Darmian proved what a great buy he was with outstanding displays at the beginning of his debut season, however, he does have a habit of picking up yellow cards and that has been proven to be slightly disturbing as during his recent ban the only choices were Valencia and now winger Ashley Young.

It's in midfield where van Gaal enjoys an abundance of talent to choose from with new summer additions Schneiderlin and Schweinsteiger adding the bite in the middle that had been lacking since the days of Roy Keane. Along with Mata, Herrera, Fellaini, Young and Carrick it became clear that the manager couldn't keep them all happy at the same time and in that respect Herrera, Carrick and Fellaini have spent the most time on the bench.

What is evident is that van Gaal leans towards the partnership of Schweinsteiger and Schneiderlin in the middle with Mata given the nod ahead of Herrera to take up a more forward position.

However, it's those forward positions that have provided the major talking points this campaign as even though clean sheets are a regular event at the back the distinct lack of goals has provided the manager with his biggest headache.

The fans have started to vent their dismay by regularly chanting Attack! Attack! Attack! during recent matches. One thing that has to be said is that the manager has, to some extent brought this on himself by not reinforcing the attack before the season began when he offloaded forwards either for good or on loan.

One shining light has been the young French forward Anthony Martial who has been nothing short of a revelation since he was bought for a huge amount of money for a relatively unknown teenager, but since his debut goal against arch rivals Liverpool he has gone from strength to strength and seems to have settled into life at United very well. Even playing out on the left his skill and confidence with the ball at his feet is a joy to watch.

The same can't be said of Memphis who has not enjoyed the same start to his United career. He has a bucket load of talent, but his form has been on the wane since Holland were eliminated from the upcoming Euro's. I'm sure he will settle down eventually and get his head around what is expected of him and will end up a true star at the club.

Fringe players have come to the fore already this season, none more so than Jesse Lingard. The Warrington lad has been at Old Trafford for 16 years and after loan spells he has patiently bided his time and boy has it paid off. A couple of scintillating man of the match displays topped off with a wonder strike against WBA has proven that patience is truly a virtue. The question is whether van Gaal will now give him a longer run in the side.

I suppose the main talking point of the season and one that has divided fans is the form, or lack thereof, of the captain Wayne Rooney. I think it's important to look at what he brings to the team now and not to be blinded by his fantastic achievements for the club over the last decade or so. Rooney is a striker and his greatest talent is putting the ball in the back of the net as his records for both United and England show quite clearly.

Rooney is not a midfielder as he doesn't have that quality you need to play in the middle of the park and whoever put that idea in his head a few years ago was plainly mistaken. Too many times this season play has broken down when he has dropped deep to such an extent that it has clearly affected the goals for column. Add that to the many times he has dithered when in front of goal and it is obvious something is not right with his confidence.

Van Gaal's insistence that he will always play a skipper that is fit, has backfired so many times in matches that we should have won. The only performance of merit was when he played as the main striker away at Brugge and what happened? He scored a hat-trick.

At 30, sure his pace and overall play will not be on a tandem with the younger players, but he still has an eye for goal which means he should play in attack or not at all. Another position that will hopefully be strengthened when the transfer window opens.

As regards the manager I still think van Gaal needs one or two more additions to the side to get them where he wants them to be as even he has admitted that the lack of pace up front has been a problem. Also, he must instil in his squad that even though United are statistically among the best passing sides in the league they need to do it going forward rather than sideways or even backwards.

It would be great if he could continue to give chances to the younger players as he has been doing, most notably with Perreira and Lingard, along with bringing up young stars of the future from the U18's even if it's only to use them as subs to give them the valuable experience of being part of the first team.

Based solely on performances here is my first XI of the season so far: De Gea, Darmian, Smalling, Blind, Rojo, Schweinsteiger, Schneiderlin, Mata, Herrera, Lingard and Martial.

The best home match was the victory over Liverpool in which we overpowered and outplayed Liverpool once again and the match saw a debut goal for a certain French striker.

The best away match had to be the victory over Everton at Goodison Park. After three straight defeats there it was a relief to see the team perform so well. There has not been many away games to cheer about but this win was one that lifted the fans and players as it was close on the heels of the 0-3 defeat by Arsenal.

Player of the season so far: Chris Smalling.

High of the season: The goal by Anthony Martial after coming on for his debut against Liverpool. The newest hero for the Stretford End.

Lows of the season: Luke Shaw breaking his leg and the opening 20 minutes at the Emirates.

I fully expect United to challenge for the title as they are currently in 4th position without yet hitting top gear and especially if van Gaal strengthens the forward line in January. As regards the Champions League I believe that it's possibly a bridge too far this season, but will provide valuable experience. A longer run in the FA Cup would be a more realistic aim. Whatever the outcome my I hope is that we don't end up empty-handed once again.

Thanks for reading.

Miles Dunton.

Patience is a virtue for United.

Manchester United 2 West Bromwich Albion 0

After breaking their goal drought in midweek, it was a return to the bread and butter of the Premier League for United and the visit of WBA to Old Trafford.

Could the Red Devils build on that win against CSKA Moscow and start to mount a serious challenge in the league? The 4-4-2 system against the Russians gave the fans what they wanted which was a more attack-minded side with Rooney and Martial utilised in tandem up front.

When Louis van Gaal announced his starting XI it became clear that he had embraced the style of play that best suited United by continuing with the same side and system that worked so effectively on Tuesday evening. The starting XI was made up of: De Gea, Young, Smalling, Blind, Rojo, Schweinsteiger, Carrick, Mata, Lingard, Martial and Rooney.

Subs: Romero, Borthwick-Jackson, Jones, Schneiderlin, Herrera, Pereira and Memphis.

Included in the squad was 18-year-old left back Cameron Borthwick-Jackson, who had been drafted in as cover for the injured Shaw, Valencia and McNair and also due to the suspension of Darmian. Another example of the youth being given a chance following Axel Tuanzebe's inclusion last week against Palace. There could be a new chant around Old Trafford of 'Louis' Lads' if this continues.

Fellaini missed out completely after picking up an injury in training, but Schneirderlin made a welcome return to the bench following a short illness. Former United players Jonny Evans and Darren Fletcher started the match for the Baggies.

United got the game underway in the autumn sunshine that bathed the Theatre of Dreams following a well observed minute silence for remembrance weekend.

It was a usual start by the home side as they enjoyed the majority of the possession but with nothing to show for it. West Brom had clearly come with a gameplan  to defend and hope for a chance on the break so United had to be careful of not becoming complacent at the back.

The first real chance fell to Mata on the quarter hour mark after Rooney had opted to play in the Spaniard rather than take a shot himself. Mata tried to bend his effort into the far corner from inside the area, however, the ball sailed just wide.

The United attacking formation took shape after the first twenty minutes with Lingard out on the left and Rooney, Martial and Mata roaming around the front line with all three popping up here and there as they tried to find a way through the away defence.

As the Baggies had only come to defend Carrick and Schweinsteiger found themselves in the thick of the attacking play in and around the penalty area and had a couple of opportunities where they maybe should have had an effort to test Myhill in the visitors goal.

Half an hour played and although they had enjoyed more than 80% of the ball the Red Devils still hadn't troubled West Brom.

Ashley Young was having a nightmare at the Theatre of Dreams as not once but twice he gave the ball away first with a long pass to, it has to be said, no one, then dribbling past himself to concede a throw in and the picture on van Gaal's face was priceless. But what would Roy Keane make of it?

Five minutes before the break Lingard was put through on goal but was thwarted by a brilliant challenge from Jonny Evans. The speed of Lingard is something that United need to make more use of as he really is a player who possesses lightning pace.

Just before the break Martial almost created a chance for himself as he showed excellent ball control inside the area to turn and unleash a shot that was well saved by Myhill. Best play by a United player so far and it deserved a goal, reminiscent of Mark Hughes in his prime.

Half time and not for the first time this season it was all square at 0-0 after United had found it difficult to find a way through to goal against a side clearly under instructions to defend at all costs and play for time.

An example of this was when the visitors had won a corner and the length of time it took the player to walk over to take it was pure gamesmanship and the referee did nothing about it, time wasting at its most ridiculous.

West Bromwich Albion is not the first and certainly won't be the last to use such negative tactics at Old Trafford, but it is up to United to learn how to overcome such play and brush these teams aside.

The second half saw no changes made by van Gaal as the home side looked to break down a resolute Baggies defence as they attacked the Stretford End.

At least West Brom did venture forward in the opening minutes of the second half, but without troubling birthday boy David de Gea.

Not only were the players flat so were the fans who had had nothing to shout about until Jesse Lingard changed all that when he produced a moment of pure excellence in the 52nd minute as he collected the ball from a headed clearance outside the box and showed exceptional composure to curl the ball past the diving keeper and into the bottom corner to score his first goal for the club. Brilliant and just what the game needed.

The first change of the match followed the goal and saw a straight swap as Phil Jones replaced Ashley Young.

Since the goal, the visitors realised what football was all about and tried their utmost to mount some kind of attack, but Smalling and company were in complete control at the back as usual.

Rooney's attempt at a long-range pass from a position he shouldn't have been in was the springboard for the visitors best chance of the match as they countered attacked and following the cross an unmarked Berahino headed over from close range. A big let off for the home side, and Rooney.

Then a very special moment for a young player as Cameron Borthwick-Jackson made his debut when he came on in place of Rojo in the 76th minute.

United came close mainly through the running of Martial and Lingard, but Rooney didn't help his cause with some poor passes and van Gaal decided to replace the captain with Herrera for the final ten minutes of the match.

A smart header from Martial played in Mata for a chance that he blasted high, wide and not so handsome over the bar.

Once again a former player had the game of his life upon returning to Old Trafford this time it was the turn of Jonny Evans, who managed to block almost everything United threw at his defence. If only he had shown the same commitment on a consistent basis while at United maybe he wouldn't have been let go.

With the match in its final throes French starlet, Martial, went on one last lung-busting run all the way into the penalty area only to be upended by McCauley, who not only conceded the penalty but also gave referee Mike Dean no option but to send him off.

The resulting spot kick was blasted down the middle by Juan Mata to give United a more respectable winning margin of 2-0.

Overall the three points along with another clean sheet are what matters and the play from the team fully warranted the win over a West Brom team who until United took the lead offered nothing in the way of an attacking threat.

There were numerous performances that merited a special mention including Schweinsteiger for his control of the midfield, Smalling for his marshalling of the defence, Mata and Martial for their non-stop running on and off the ball.

However, it has to be Lingard, who deserves the man of the match award again as nothing seemed to phase him and his pace was a problem for the opposition defenders all day. The way he finished his goal was probably worth the accolade on its own and the joy etched on his face said it all after he scored his wonderful opening goal for the club and what a way to do it right in front of the adoring Stretford End.

An important morale-boosting win before the players depart for international duty is just what the manager would have hoped for and all fingers will be crossed that not only will the players return injury free but that United can keep up this form into the busy winter period.

Thanks for reading.

Miles Dunton.

Rooney's Russian Relief

Manchester United 1 CSKA Moscow 0

Manchester United's barren run ended when Rooney got his head on the end of a Lingard cross to finally lift a veil of uncertainty from the Theatre of Dreams.

After being goalless in the last three matches, the pressure was on for United to find the net against their Russian opposition to take a step closer to qualification from their group in the Champions League at Old Trafford.

Much had been said and written about United's lack of goals and poor inventiveness in attack ahead of this important clash so it was interesting to see the starting XI given the task of righting the wrongs of the last few games: De Gea, Young, Smalling, Blind, Rojo, Carrick, Schweinsteiger, Mata, Lingard, Rooney and Martial.

Jesse Lingard was given yet another opportunity to prove his worth in the side along with Ashley Young at full-back in place of Darmian. Carrick and Schweinsteiger were chosen together in midfield with Rooney once again given the nod in attack even though his form has been poor for the majority of the season.

Subs: Romero, Herrera, Memphis, Fellaini, Jones, Darmian and Pereira. After the disappointment of being dropped from the Holland national team Memphis could only make it onto the bench sat next to Ander Herrera whom many thought would have started the match.

CSKA got the game underway and immediately it was clear that the home side had taken up a more traditional 4-4-2 system with Rooney and Martial in tandem up front with Mata and Lingard occupying the wider roles.

The system almost paid off immediately when Rooney had an early effort with a shot that he failed to really get a hold of and it squirmed wide. However, this was a bright start by United and they had a real look of intent about their play.

Lingard looked lively in and around the box in the opening ten minutes and he almost won a penalty as the keeper rushed out before the youngster could get on the end of a through ball.

Blind played a delightful ball over the top which Mata almost got his toe on the end of, but the keeper got to the ball first.

It was all United as the first half progressed with some superb passing play, especially down the left channel and only needed a goal to reward their industry.

After half an hour, it was still 0-0. United's performance was a vast improvement on the recent dull showings with Blind in superb passing form from the back as he was the main outlet for start of the attacks.

Rooney delivered a free-kick into the danger area which only needed the slightest of touches from Smalling, but the defender ducked under the ball clearly believing that it was headed into the far corner.

More great play by the home side provided an excellent opportunity for Lingard, but the forward lashed the ball over the bar. A great chance for the youngster who only needed a little more composure to open the scoring.

Rojo was the next culprit as he leathered the ball just wide from close range from a wonderful pinpoint cross from Young.

Half time and the match somehow was all square at 0-0. The half started on such a high with United set out in a system that promised so much but delivered very little in the end. The half ended a little flat with some erratic passing from Lingard and Rojo, who were both also guilty of missing the game's two best chances. Having said that CSKA had not even managed one shot on De Gea's goal, so there was reason to be optimistic for the second half.

There was on bone of contention and that was United's continued use of the short corner that always ends up with the ball going backwards or worse still possession lost. Get the ball into the box where there is the chance of someone getting their head on the end of it.

The home side kicked off the second half attacking the Stretford End with no changes made to the side. Lingard had an early break down the left wing and delivered a much better cross that was diverted for a corner which was not taken short and was almost headed in by Rojo.

Then it was Rojo's turn to become the provider as he delivered a decent ball that Martial almost powered in with a header.

Another lively start by United with a flurry of corners, surely it would only be a matter of time before the Red Devils turned possession into goals.

As the hour mark neared CSKA still hadn't managed a shot on goal, but their new substitute Doumbia showed that he had the pace to be a threat on the counter-attack.

Boos then filled the Theatre of Dreams as Fellaini became the first of van Gaal's changes as he came on for the popular Martial for the final twenty minutes.

The best chance of the match so far fell to Rooney after great approach play by Lingard then Mata. The Spaniard played the ball on a plate for the captain who somehow managed to get the ball tangled up in his feet close to the goal line. Then Young was fortunate not to be booked after a blatant dive in the area as he looked to earn a penalty.

Memphis livened things up when he came on for Mata in the last fifteen minutes by crossing for Carrick to try his luck from distance, however, he smashed the ball wide.

Then David De Gea showed his class by saving at the feet of Doumbia whose follow-up shot was cleared off the line by Smalling then it was straight up the other end as United broke down the right and got the breakthrough their play had fully deserved when Rooney headed in a superb goal in the 79th minute from a delightful cross by Lingard. In doing so Rooney ended a 404 minute United goal drought to the joy of himself, his teammates, the manager and not least the fans.

At last, United had found a way through to goal that will hopefully provide the springboard for more to come in the future. However, if it were not for the top class intervention by United's keeper a few seconds before things could have been totally different.

There was a last minute change for United as Herrera replaced the industrious Schweinsteiger. The German received a standing ovation in recognition of his hard work alongside Carrick.

The match ended with the stadium standing in appreciation for their heroes, especially Lingard, who deserves the man of the match accolades purely for his determination and, of course, the assist for the goal.

The end of the long wait for a goal together with the valuable three points meant that United moved to the top of their group and only need one more win from their remaining two games to clinch a qualifying place in the competition's knock-out stage.

In fairness, the visitors didn't provide a threat until the introduction of Doumbia in attack and it was the save at his feet by De Gea and the clearance by Smalling that proved pivotal in the last throes of the match.

Let's hope that United can build on this result and move forward as this was by far their best display of the season. The manager's decision to use an attacking 4-4-2 formation turned his team into a more threatening side and maybe he should look at keeping the same set up for the foreseeable future.

United have never drawn four goalless matches in a row, so this was a much-needed win for confidence more than anything else.

Thanks for reading.

Miles Dunton.

No Tricks or Treats from United.

Crystal Palace 0 Manchester United 0

'Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me' was the reply from Louis van Gaal to the criticism of his tactics by United legend Paul Scholes after the bitter disappointment of the defeat by Middlesbrough in midweek.

Following their recent goalless outings there has been backlash from all quarters, not only Scholes, questioning the lack of inventiveness in front of goal by United so here was a great chance for them to prove their critics wrong and show that the recent results were only a blip in their season by putting the frighteners on Palace. Unfortunately, it was the same old story yet again at Selhurst Park.

In the League Cup defeat van Gaal gave the youngsters a chance in attack, but it backfired dramatically as they struggled together against the Championship side so he reverted back to a more experienced lineup hoping that the goals would come.

Starting XI: De Gea, Darmian, Smalling, Blind, Rojo, Schneiderlin, Schweinsteiger, Herrera, Mata, Rooney and Martial.

Without Memphis in the side due to injury, van Gaal kept faith with under performing and under fire captain Rooney, however, Schneiderlin, Schweinsteiger, Mata and Herrera all returned to the side to bolster the team's attacking options.

Subs: Romero, Tuanzebe, Young, Carrick, Pereira, Lingard and Fellaini.

There was one surprise on the bench and that was the inclusion of 17-year-old defender Axel Tuanzebe for his first senior squad involvement.

Crystal Palace had the first chance as early as the first minute as United gave the ball away to allow Gayle a chance to test De Gea's reflexes. There was more sloppy defending from the visitors when they gave Palace hope in attack, not a good start from United who looked nervy all over the pitch in the opening ten minutes of the game.

Not for the first time this season United was a side in complete disarray as Palace threatened to open the scoring and if it wasn't for the brilliance of De Gea and the woodwork then the Red Devils would have been in real trouble within the first fifteen minutes.

A scary start at Halloween for United.

United needed a calming influence on the pitch to instil confidence in the side and to nullify the threat and pace of Palace. One thing was certain the fantastic away support was in fine voice as always.

Mata won a dubious free kick on the edge of the area which he left for Rooney to take, but his effort was poor and lacked the pace to beat Hennessey in goal. However, United were beginning to control the game without threatening Palace too much.

Rooney's poor season was summed up as he failed to latch onto a great weighted through ball from Martial on the half hour. A chance that he would have buried in his prime, but it seems those days are well behind him as his play has lost the edge that made him so threatening.

Herrera had the last chance of the half after Mata and Martial carved out an opportunity for the visitors, but he totally lost his footing at the vital moment inside the penalty area.

Half time and all was square thanks mainly to De Gea's excellent save and no thanks to Rooney's indecision up front. Surely at some point in the second half we would see Rooney replaced by Young allowing Martial to take up the central strikers role, however, as we witnessed later the manager had other ideas.

The second half started with no changes made by van Gaal. Both sides didn't hold back in the challenges as both Smalling and Darmian picked up cautions. The Italian's booking means that he will automatically miss United's next Premier League encounter with West Brom and would shortly force the manager's hand into a change.

After a period of play in which the away side created absolutely no chances van Gaal decided to make his first change of the game in the 66th minute when Young replaced Darmian most likely to prevent the defender receiving a second booking as he had struggled with Zaha all day.

This was immediately followed by Fellaini's inclusion at the expense of Schweinsteiger. Could the lofty Belgian produce the winner as he had done last season. Herrera blotted his copybook in the 70th minute with a dive in the penalty area in which he was fortunate not to receive a yellow card.

At this point in the match, it was the home side who seemed the likelier of the two teams to grab the all-important opener as United struggled to get into any rhythm and it was that man again De Gea who came to his team's rescue with some fine blocks to prevent Palace.

Van Gaal's last throw of the dice saw Lingard replace Mata for the final fifteen minutes of the match. Any number of players could have been dragged off as none of the team, with the exception of Smalling and De Gea, performed anywhere near the acceptable level for a United player.

Two late chances for both sides could have sneaked the win the latter almost falling for Rooney after good approach work from Young.

The match ended with a point shared for both sides, but in all honesty Palace will feel aggrieved they didn't collect all three after they had created the majority of the chances compared to United who failed once again to put on a display worthy of their great name. They looked like a side devoid of any creativity or drive, and were lucky to come out of the game with a point.

Last season's problems stemmed from the defence, however, the main problem with this campaign is the toothless attack of United. Sure, we have the quality there, especially with Martial, but he can't do it all alone and the demand for another striker must be paramount in the manager's mind. This was the third game on the bounce that United had failed to find the net from open play, a statistic that is just not good enough.

If only the striker problem had been addressed in the summer as all knew that entering into a new season without four recognized strikers was going to stretch the side to the limit. Add to that the poor form of Rooney and it makes the situation worse, even more so when the only fallback plan is to utilise Fellaini as a literal springboard in the hope of something coming from his bushy head.

Van Gaal and his coaches have their work cut out ahead of the upcoming Champions League game with CSKA Moscow and unless they want another competition to end up out of their reach they had better come up with a plan to fix the obvious failings and quickly.

Thanks for reading.

Miles Dunton.

United Pay the Penalty Against Boro.

Manchester United 0 Middlesbrough 0 (aet)
(Penalties: United 1 Boro 3)

United were dumped out of the Capital One Cup after a performance that proved one thing and that is they are a side devoid of ideas and restricted by tactics that are clearly not working.

United took a break from the pressure of the Premier and Champions Leagues to concentrate on the Capital One cup and the visit of Middlesbrough to Old Trafford.

The last time these two sides met in the competition was back in the 2008-09 season when United triumphed with a 3-1 victory in the 3rd round on their way to lifting the trophy at Wembley.

It is well known that the top flight sides tend to utilise their squads in the League Cup by giving a chance to some of their youngsters and in the last tie, it was one of those fringe players that turned out to be the hero, Andreas Pereira.

So, it was no surprise to see that Louis van Gaal once again went down the same route of choosing a side that mixed things up a little: Romero, Darmian, Smalling, Blind, Rojo, Carrick, Fellaini, Pereira, Lingard, Wilson and Memphis.

In total there were nine changes from the derby draw and the side boasted a young forward line that had both pace and ability in large amounts with Memphis, Wilson, Pereira and Lingard set to torment the Boro defence.

United's subs bench was impressive to say the least: De Gea, Young, Schweinsteiger, Herrera, Mata, Martial and Rooney.

As expected United started the more confident of the two sides by passing the ball around neatly, but as the half progressed the home side made little inroads into the visitors defence and for all their quality on show they failed to hit top gear.

Fellaini was the busiest of the United players linking the midfield with the attack, but it wasn't until the 34th minute that the home side had their first shot on goal and that was a very tame effort by Wilson that the visiting keeper had only to bend down and collect.

This was not the start that United was hoping for as they made it more difficult for themselves by allowing Boro to see too much of the ball and it nearly paid off for the Championship side when Downing tried his luck from the edge of the box with a dipping effort which Romero did well to tip over for a corner. That had to be a wake-up call for United that Boro were not here just to make up the numbers.

Half time and it was all square at 0-0 with the visitors coming the closest to breaking the deadlock and a lackluster United unable to get into any groove.

After being given a chance by the manager it was unfortunate that the youngsters hadn't shown their true class by failing to get behind the Boro defence and in the second half you wondered how long it would be until van Gaal freshened things up from the quality bench available to him.

The first of those changes came at the start of the second half when captain Rooney replaced Wilson in attack, but it was Middlesbrough who started the half on the front foot as they clearly believed that the match was there for the taking.

Memphis had a shot on goal which was almost fumbled by Mejias in goal but, to be honest, he made the Dutchman's shot look better than it was.

After ten minutes of the half, United finally started to take control of the game and began to pepper the visitors goal with speculative shots the closest from Felling and Pereira.

It was hearts in mouths time when just before the hour mark Boro thought they had scored when Daley Blind lashed the ball into his own net, thankfully for him and the fans, Boro were adjudged to be offside in the build-up to the blunder.

This was turning out to be embarrassing for the Red Devils and it was summed up by Memphis as he totally miss-hit a shot after dribbling into the area to set himself up for a chance.

Young made a welcome return to the side after an injury layoff when he replaced Rojo for the final half hour of play.

For a neutral this was an exciting cup tie, but for United it was a nervy display as once again Blind almost managed to score at the wrong end as Romero let his back pass squirm under his foot and both looked relieved as the ball went just wide.

The last spin of the dice for van Gaal came when he let loose his French star Martial who entered the fray for the hugely disappointing Memphis in the 70th minute and the change almost had the desired effect as Martial went on one of his trademark runs only to be thwarted by the defence.

Fellaini had a wild shot at goal as United's play became more desperate entering the last ten minutes of the game. A calm head was needed up front while all around were panicking.

With extra time looming you wondered where, if at all, a United goal was going to come from as they laboured in front of a happy 10,000 visiting away support.

Lingard rattled the post in the final minute followed by an effort at the other end from Leadbitter as he tried to lob Romero but the keeper made amends for his earlier mistake by saving well then he dived low to prevent a certain goal from a Downing strike.

There was more action in the last three minutes of normal time than in the whole of the match with Romero being the busiest of the keepers making at least three stops to deny Boro a shock ending.

The first period of extra time saw the home side go for the jugular from the off, but as has been the story on numerous occasions this season the final ball let them down and they soon allowed the opposition to get back into the game.

The home side were reduced to crosses aimed at Fellaini that Boro dealt with far too easily and once again Rooney's touch was terrible to watch as he and Fellaini failed to impress as they struggled to find a way through.

Into the second period of extra time and to avoid penalties United would have to produce something they hadn't managed all match and that would be a moment of brilliance. It was almost produced by the excellent Martial who had a dribble into the area, but was out crowded by at least four defenders before he could deliver the final strike.

Pereira had another chance to become the hero again when he had a thunderous strike that sneaked past the post. there was a late shout for a penalty for United as a cross definitely hit a defenders hand but the referee, Lee Mason, waved play on.

Fellaini almost won it at the death with two headed chances either side of a Martial header which was a hair width wide.

End of extra time and all square as the match headed into penalties.

The penalty shootout ended in a 3-1 victory to Middlesbrough after captain Rooney, vice-captain Carrick then Young all fluffed their lines from the spot and with it ended the first chance of silverware this season.

In all honesty, if United's style of play has been reduced to hoofing the ball into the box aiming for Fellaini's head and hoping for a chance to fall at the feet of one of his teammates then there needs to be a serious overhaul of United's tactics.

All credit has to go to the visiting team for wanting the win more than the hosts, but this has to go down as an embarrassment for United who have clearly not learned from their recent failings and continue to be unable to kill teams off.

Something is clearly not working when we can't even put on a winning performance against a team from the lower leagues with a fairly strong looking side. How long do the fans have to put up with displays of pure inadequacies from players who have always enjoyed the backing of the fans? It's the youngsters who will suffer from this defeat when it should be the experienced players who have to come in for the most criticism along with the coaches.

People will say it's only the League Cup, however, that is not the point the point is United are expected to win everything they play for and if they can't then at least go out with a bang trying and not a whimper.

Thanks for reading.

Miles Dunton.

A Dull Derby Draw.

Manchester United 0 Manchester City 0

The 170th Manchester derby will go down as a dull one sided affair in which at least United tried to show the passion and commitment needed in such a match but lacked one all important factor, goals.

After the worry of how United would cope with a long round trip to the Russian capital to play CSKA Moscow, the home side responded with a display that dispelled any concerns as they outran, outplayed and outfought their noisy neighbours with a display that only needed someone to put the ball into the back of the net.

Louis van Gaal got his team selection and tactics spot on as he picked a starting eleven that nullified the opposition. It was composed of De Gea; Valencia, Jones, Smalling, Rojo; Schweinsteiger, Schneiderlin, Herrera; Mata, Rooney and Martial.

The only change from the midweek saw Mata return to the team instead of Lingard which meant still no place in the starting line-up for Memphis and Blind. Rooney was once again chosen even-though his form has been questionable lately. The question on people's minds was which Rooney would turn up?

Subs:  Romero, Blind, Darmian, Carrick, Lingard, Memphis and Fellaini.

The Reds got the match underway attacking the Stretford End with Old Trafford, as you would expect, buzzing with the anticipation of a classic encounter.

Valencia started the game by stretching his legs down the right wing but his final deliveries failed to pick out his forwards. It was an enthusiastic start by the home side as they tried to build up attacks utilising both flanks and had an early shout for a penalty after a suspicion of handball inside the box.

The fast tempo of the opening minutes suited United more and seemed to unsettle City but could the home side keep the pace up as they had not started a first half in this vein for most of the season.

Martial's dribbling skills on the left gave the City defence trouble and Fernandinho became the first player to be cautioned after upending the young striker, although the City player should have been booked earlier for an offence that was much worse. It just goes to prove that there has been no consistency in the refereeing of matches this season.

Rooney received a belated 30th birthday present when he was clouted on the head by city captain Kompany and had to leave the pitch to have his scalp stapled to stem the flow of blood.

City still continued to struggle with the running of Martial and on one such foray forward, he played in Mata but the usually cool Spaniard dithered on the ball and the chance was gone.

This was turning out to be a true derby match in the fact that both sets of players were not holding back with their challenges and all showed 100% commitment in the tackle.

The threat of Prince Harry lookalike De Bruyne had been kept firmly in check by the superb defending of Rojo whenever the Belgian ventured into the Argentine's area of defence.

Phil Jones was up to his usual indecisive self by inexplicable heading the ball out for a corner when there was absolutely no danger whatsoever. Rooney then followed that up with a wayward 30-yard pass to nobody. At least Rooney had an excuse having had a bang to the head, Jones on the other hand had no such excuse.

Mata played himself in trouble and went into the referee's book after his challenge to try and retrieve the situation after he had given the ball away in a dangerous area, thankfully for him the resulting free-kick came to nothing.

Kompany was the latest player to be bamboozled by Martial's pace as he unceremoniously brought the French forward down to earn a booking.

At half-time even though the scores were level United had to have been the happier of the two sides after one of their best displays in a first half this season. Despite not having a clear chance on goal they had started brightly and kept the visitors at bay. The only negative had to be the standard of delivery from free-kicks that let United down and without Memphis in the side, it was left to either Mata or Rooney to deliver or in most cases not.

Neither manager made any changes at the beginning of the second-half as United tried to build on their excellent amount of possession of the first half.

Martial and Schweinsteiger combined well down the left to set up a chance for Mata in the box, but the ball was eventually cleared for a corner which provided United with their closest chance of the game up to that point. The ball sailed over everyone and Smalling, who was loitering unmarked at the far post, placed a header back across goal which just crept past the far post. Unlucky by Smalling.

Sterling was taken off by City after only five minutes of the restart following an unconvincing display and at this point in the match United enjoyed 70% of the play but desperately needed to turn it to their advantage with a goal.

Mata was almost played through by Rojo, but Hart was quick to react and cleared before Mata could get to the ball. A lucky escape for the visitors as United continued to press for the opener and City had not offered anything in the way of an attack during the second period.

Van Gaal had seen enough and decided that a change was needed and replaced a disappointed looking Mata with Jesse Lingard for the final twenty minutes to clearly add pace to the attack as the visitors looked there for the taking.

The change almost paid off immediately as Lingard bore down at pace towards the City area and played a nice ball wide to Rooney, whose attempted cross was easily blocked by the away defence.

Fellaini entered the match for the last fifteen minutes in place of Schweinsteiger and didn't seem to have a set position on the field which was obviously meant to confuse the blues, however, it also seemed to confuse the reds as at the same time it coincided with City's best spell of possession in the game.

Valencia was forced to leave the match with a knock to his leg and Darmian became the final substitution of the match for United in the 80th minute.

Magical Martial produced the pass of the match when he played a delightfully flighted ball over the top for Lingard to run onto and the youngster tried an athletic flick towards goal which rebounded off the crossbar. A great ball from Martial and almost a heroes ending for Lingard.

That chance was quickly followed by a close range effort from Smalling that was saved, it has to be said brilliantly, by Joe Hart way down at his near post.

The game finished in end to end play, however, neither side could break the deadlock and the match ended all square at 0-0 in what has to be said was so one sided that United will be angry that they couldn't capatlise on their efforts. City will leave Old Trafford happy in the knowledge they came away with a point after such a tepid display having not troubled David De Gea in the United goal.

The man of the match can only be between two players and they are Martial and Rojo. Martial once again displayed his value to the team whenever he had the ball at his feet and it was his close control at full pace that caused the City defence all sorts of problems. Rojo had De Bruyne completely in his pocket throughout the 90 minutes. The trio of Smalling, Schneiderlin and Schweinsteiger all played at the top of their games, but it has to be Martial who takes the plaudits again.

Once again, it was another disappointing display by Rooney and you do have to wonder how long van Gaal will continue to pick his captain just because he is the captain. With no shots on target and only a 55% pass accuracy enough has to be enough. Pace is the crucial element to United's attack and Rooney's has waned of late. The upcoming match against Middlesbrough in the league cup could be an ideal opportunity to unleash a forward line comprising of Martial, Memphis, Pereira and Lingard to see what is possible with the youngsters.

Thanks for reading.

Miles Dunton.

Manchester Derby Day Passions.

Manchester Passions Run High, Or Do They?

The 170th Manchester Derby could be one of the most interesting and closest clashes between the clubs in years as both teams are sitting pretty at the summit of the Premier League and whoever comes out on top on Sunday will not only have local, and worldwide, bragging rights but will also get their noses in front in the league race.

Here's why it should be interesting as both sides, it has to be said, have had an indifferent start to the season, especially when it comes to certain player's performances, but somehow even playing below par both teams have piled up the points. They have both been humbled in matches and even in victories neither side has hit top gear yet on a consistent basis.

Both sides have individual match winners and City will be buzzing after their last minute winner against Sevilla scored by De Bruyne probably their most dangerous player in the absence of Aguero and Silva, but having said that United have one main advantage going into the match in the shape of French striker Anthony Martial, who has greatly impressed since his arrival at Old Trafford, you can't beat scoring against Liverpool on your debut but a late winner on Sunday will go a long way towards matching it.

United lead the way with 70 wins compared to City's 49 and with the home advantage you would have to put the Red Devils down as slight favourites in a game where league form counts for nothing, or does it?

It used to be true that in a derby league form went out of the window as it was all about local passion and that is still true for the fans, but for the players it is just another big game of many in the league calendar. This has to be put down to the fact that most of the them involved in this weekend's match are foreigners with no one, with the possible exception of Lingard, who was born in Warrington, from anywhere close to the Manchester area.

Gone are the days when we had the likes of the Neville brothers, Scholes, and Butt, who were all Greater Manchester lads and fully understood the importance of the local rivalry as they were players but also fans and they didn't need to be reminded how big a match the derby was. There is no doubt that Ryan Giggs has tried to install in the new recruits how big a deal this is for the club, but even captain Rooney, an Evertonian at heart, must consider the Liverpool clashes more important than playing City.

Will the passion of old ever return? It's highly unlikely as even the new young talent are being shipped in from foreign shores. It's not the players fault as it stems from the modern day football ideal which is built on money and sponsorship deals where the players kissing of a badge means little to the fans these days.

Footballers nowadays are wrapped in cotton wool and protected from the outside world, however, they only have to check social media to gauge the fans' feelings towards the derby and maybe then they could understand how the narrow margins the highs and lows of victory or defeat mean to the supporters who are not so immune to the virals. As hard as they try to understand the deep lying resentment between both sets of fans it's understandable that the players don't have the same emotion going into the match.

One other thing that has been noticed are the rival player's bromances before matches and the images of the opposing Spanish players greeting each other in the tunnel before United's defeat at Arsenal is something that we will be seeing more of, but something that would not have been imaginable in the strict match focused days of Fergie and Keane. A handshake or a nod was all that the players exchanged before they took the field, or in Keane's case a threat, but now it's all hugs and kisses, which surely detracts from the confrontation ahead. Hopefully, Rojo and Otamendi won't be sharing a warm embrace before the derby.

Enjoy the game, passionately.

Thanks for reading.

Miles Dunton.