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Manchester United’s woes continued as they drew 0-0 at Selhurst Park to Crystal Palace, following up on last week’s draw to Manchester City and a penalty shootout loss to Middlesborough. Here’s how the various actors of the drama fared.
Manchester United:
David de Gea: 7/10
The Spaniard was sharp and active from the word go, with United’s defence often looking shaky in the first twenty minutes. He made a brilliant reaction stop to turn Yannick Bolasie’s shot on to the post and was not found wanting during set pieces either. Less involved in the second half as the game turned into a clash between the two midfields.
Matteo Darmian: 4/10
Had one of his tougher days in a United shirt, constantly outplayed by Yannick Bolasie and giving no defensive respite to Chris Smalling alongside him. Picked up a booking and was eventually subbed off for Ashley Young as the game progressed.
Chris Smalling: 5/10
Off-colour on a day when the United defence failed in general. Picked up a booking to join Darmian and Rojo as United fans still await his promise to turn into something concrete for them in the long-term.
Daley Blind: 5/10
Though often equal to the task as a ball-playing centre-back, Blind failed once again when United needed a maestro to break attacks more often than build them from the back. Struggled with Rojo floundering around him, but a clean sheet will still be a respite, even if due to Dwight Gayle’s poor performance.
Marcos Rojo: 4.5/10
Like Darmian, he failed to protect De Gea from the onslaught which came from the flanks. He matched Palace’s direct, physical approach for quite a while in the second half, before picking up a thoroughly avoidable booking for a challenge on Dwight Gayle.
Morgan Schneiderlin: 5.5/10
A largely anonymous performance from the former Southampton man, with partner Schweinsteiger bearing the brunt of Palace’s direct approach. He remains blameless but earns no major honours either. But he should stay in the lineup for subsequent games.
Bastian Schweinsteiger: 5/10
Largely bested by Cabaye in the creative department, and struggled on the defensive front with Palace’s physicality troubling him just as Arsenal’s pace did. Van Gaal could probably look to employ him behind the striker to make better use of his creative gifts while conserving the German’s energy. He was substituted for Fellaini as United looked to take control in midfield.
Ander Herrera: 5/10
He looked out of place yet again in the No. 10 position. He would have been better off partnering Schneiderlin with Schweinsteiger as the playmaker but was frustratingly shut out in a position which had little use for his abilities. The frustrating form of Wayne Rooney only compounded his problems.
Juan Mata: 6.5/10
Mata proved to be a creative threat out on the right flank, turning in a couple of beautiful passes à la Cabaye, but United failed to make the most of it with Rooney upfront. He would be pbetter off rotated with Schweinsteiger for the No. 10 position, giving him a wider range of space to exert influence on. He made way for Jesse Lingard as the game progressed.
Anthony Martial: 6/10
He looked exciting initially with a couple of good runs inside the box but proved yet again that his talents were a waste on the wing. Could have made short work of the Palace defence down the centre with the quality of service Rooney got, and Van Gaal’s persistence to play him on the flank despite success as a centre forward seems inexplicable.
Wayne Rooney: 4/10
What a sorry run this is for United’s captain. Failed to provide any incisiveness up front, and allowed Hennessey to make a charging save when played clear during the first half. Needs a break or a change of position to find his mojo again, and should look to give up the centre-forward place to Martial for good.
Substitutes:
Ashley Young: 5.5/10
Replaced Darmian as the game went on and did his best to provide some sort of a spark to the game, but it was to no avail as United finished goalless.
Marouane Fellaini: 5/10
Van Gaal’s long ball weapon replaced Schweinsteiger to counter Palace’s physicality in midfield. Formed a decent makeshift arrangement with Schneiderlin without leading to any goals.
Jesse Lingard: 5.5/10
Provided a spark to United’s offense in the closing stages, but was more of a peek into the future than a fix to the present. A loan to a quality team will help him out in future.
Crystal Palace
Wayne Hennessey: 6.5/10
The goalkeeper was calm when he needed to step up and communicated well with his defence. A charging stop against Wayne Rooney when he was played clear stands out in particular.
Martin Kelly: 6/10
Took on the challenge of dealing with Martial fairly well, and moved forward when required, supporting Wilfried Zaha to the hilt.
Scott Dann: 7/10
The experienced Englishman, a longtime servant of Palace, distinguished himself with a controlled performance in defence while proving a threat from set pieces. Performances like these clearly vindicated Alan Pardew’s move to rebuff Everton’s advances for the man.
Damien Delaney: 6/10
A decent performance by the man, delivering exactly what was required of him in the situation, but largely overshadowed by Scott Dann’s excellent showing.
Joel Ward: 6.5/10
Competing directly with Pape Souare for the position, Ward distinguished himself today by proving a key element in Palace’s offensive buildups. His passing was largely clean and though United was largely able to attack down the right, Ward escapes censure on that count with United failing to finish.
Yohan Cabaye: 7.5/10
The most surprising element of Cabaye remains his largely unaffected ability to influence games despite an unhappy stint at PSG. Clearly the standout performer in either midfield, Cabaye often launched meaty balls forward, but Dwight Gayle failed to capitalize. His work in defence meanwhile would have Jose Mourinho wish he could swap Cabaye for Fabregas in terms of impact at the moment.
James McArthur: 6/10
McArthur, like Mile Jedinak, embodies the Eagles’ midfield bar a superstar like Cabaye: quiet, disciplined, and unafraid to fight for the ball. McArthur provided a stabilizing influence between Ward’s desire to attack and Yannick Bolasie’s clever play.
Wilfried Zaha: 6.5/10
In his second stint as an Eagle, against the very club which failed to utilize him as he’d have had it, Zaha impressed against Marcos Rojo, though occasional rushes of blood denied him the effectiveness Yannick Bolasie had. Combined well with Jason Puncheon and Dwight Gayle, eventually getting Rojo booked, in an emphatic declaration of his victory in his little battle against the Argentine.
Jason Puncheon: 7/10
One of Palace’s shrewdest signings in recent years, Puncheon, unusually behind the striker, did well to rein his own skill in and let Bolasie and Zaha run wild, aided by Cabaye. Such an understanding of United’s weaknesses cruelly pitted the template of an attacking midfielder United would love to have at the moment right against them. Intelligence is a virtue and Puncheon doubtlessly showed some of it today.
Yannick Bolasie: 8.5/10
It is easy to see why Palace have a tough time keeping this firecracker at Selhurst Park through every transfer window. Bolasie made life hard for Darmian on United’s right while being unafraid to switch flanks on occasion. A talent Palace would do well to keep if they want to upgrade as challengers for a European spot.
Dwight Gayle: 5/10
One of the main reasons of the goalless game today was the strikers failing to turn up. Gayle was regularly played in by the midfielders but was prone to losing the ball too often or firing soft shots at De Gea. Was fairly nippy in movement and played a part in getting Marcos Rojo booked towards the end of the game.
Substitutes
Mile Jedinak: 5/10
The Australian came late in the second half for Cabaye, with Pardew looking to neutralize Marouane Fellaini and slotted in effortlessly, ensuring this largely neutral rating.
