LONDON -- Three quick thoughts from the 0-0 draw between Crystal palace and Manchester United at Selhurst on Saturday.
1. United draw another blank
Manchester United have no chance of competing with the likes of Manchester City or Arsenal for the Premier League title when they cannot score goals. At Selhurst Park, they passed five hours without scoring, their last strike coming almost a fortnight ago when Anthony Martial equalised in the Champions League at CSKA Moscow.
The Frenchman, so liquid a finisher since his summer arrival from Monaco, can hardly be expected to provide goals when marooned out on the left wing, where his manager placed him until the very late stages. In the central striker's position, Wayne Rooney continued to flounder, another ineffective afternoon best represented by a wasteful late shot when United were in a rare promising attacking position.
It was not a United performance to quell the growing background noise of disquiet over the level of entertainment that Louis Van Gaal's team offer. They did not even look too solid in defence, either.
Matteo Darmian's bright start to his United career is ebbing fast. At right-back, the Italian struggled with the searing pace and trickery of Wilfried Zaha, a player who never got a chance to shine at United, having been Sir Alex Ferguson's final signing for the club. Darmian looked relieved to be replaced by Ashley Young in the 66th minute. Having been already booked, his continued presence was not a risk worth taking.
Crystal Palace
Manchester United
United's best chances of the first half were blown by Ander Herrera losing his footing as a Martial cross came to his feet, and Rooney failing to make anything of Martial's run and through-pass. There was a lack of conviction in attack throughout.
And when Palace upped the ante from the beginning of the second period, with high-speed pressing and Zaha and Yannick Bolasie thrilling down the flanks, United attacks became a scarce commodity. Misses by Yohan Cabaye and Damien Delaney as the last 15 minutes approached were of great relief to United, who were by that point struggling to contain an opponent brimming with confidence and adventure.
On the sidelines, Palace manager Alan Pardew raged when such opportunities were allowed to slide by. Behind him, anchored to his seat, sat Van Gaal, furiously writing down notes in his leather-bound pad. Whatever he was writing, "more goals, more attacking" might be a good place to start.
2. Rooney struggles again
Sticks and stones may break his bones, but Paul Scholes did not make Van Gaal listen. After the United legend said that Rooney's recent woes were down to his manager's safety-first tactics, Van Gaal ploughed on with a formation that placed his captain as central striker and Martial out on the left.
The Rooney debate rages on, with former teammates and other ex-pros defending him to the hilt, while the rest of the known world thinks his form has dropped off a cliff. For the moment, though maybe not for much longer if the torpor continues, he has his manager on his side.
Scholes' broader point that United are devoid of creativity clearly had the support of the club's away fans here, who sang songs of praise to the former "Ginger Prince" and urged the current team to "attack, attack, attack".
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