Burnley 0 Manchester United 0 - Five talking points

Louis van Gaal will have to wait another couple of weeks to register his first win as the Manchester United manager as his side could manager only a goalless draw against Burnley at Turf Moor. It was another lacklustre performance from the Red Devils as even the introduction of their record signing Angel Di Maria didn’t prove enough as they drop another couple of points in the first month of the new Premier League season.Here are some key talking points from the game:

#1 Di Maria impresses but lacks support

Angel Di Maria made his much-awaited debut for Manchester United and although the £60m man impressed, the lack of moment by the rest of the attack made his job a lot more difficult. Even then the Argentine showed bursts of pace and almost gave United the lead on more than one occasion, only for his team-mates for fail to apply the final. Testament to that was his sublime through ball to Robin Van Persie over the defence, which the Dutchman hit straight at the on-rushing goalkeeper Tom Heaton.

Although Di Maria didn’t get too many opportunities to run with the ball, on the couple of occasions he did, he looked lively, but still penetrated the defence thanks to his precise passing more than his dribbling skills. While it will take some time for him to completely understand his team-mates and learn all about how they play, the early signs are certainly promising.

#2 Back three starting to find their shape

In a season that has already been filled with plenty of injuries, the Red Devils were able to finally field what was arguably their strongest back-three. Jonny Evans the club’s most-experienced central defender made his first League appearance of the season and slotted in as the right-sided centre back, while Phil Jones played centrally and Tyler Blackett started on the left side.

Unlike their previous games in which the three central defenders were narrow, against Burnley, Evans and Blackett played more like full backs and gave the defence more stability. In Jones, they had someone who was there to mop up any misplaced passes and although they were still caught out a few times in this game, that was down to individual errors rather than it being a fault of the system and those are promising signs indeed.

#3 Lack of goals could send Burnley down

Ings (L) unable to replicate his Championship form

One of the main reasons why a lot of promoted teams struggle to stay in the Premier League is because of their lack of goals. While a disciplined defence and a solid midfield might be enough to sneak into the Premier League, to stay up in the top-flight you need a striker or two to get into double digits in the goals scored column. And that is one area where Burnley might struggle this season.

One of the main reasons for their promotion to the Premier League was the goals of Danny Ings, who has thus far failed to live up to last season’s standards. A front two of Ings and Jutkiewicz is unlikely to trouble too many defences and the pair were unable to even break down a Manchester United defence that only a few days shipped four against MK Dons. Unless they go out and sign a striker that can get them 10-15 goals this season, the club will struggle to stay up.

#4 De Gea off to a shaky start

De Gea didn’t have greatest of games against Burnley

Last season was one that is unlikely to remain long in the memory of many United supporters, but one player who shone and came of age in the campaign was goalkeeper David De Gea. The Spaniard was largely faultless last season and was one of the few bright sparks in an otherwise dismal campaign. But De Gea hasn’t gotten off to the best of starts this time around. Although the Spaniard got his first clean sheet of the campaign against Burnley, he looked unsure in possession.

One of De Gea’s biggest strengths is his ability to distribute the ball, but the Spaniard looked nervous in possession and kicked the ball straight out of play several times from goal kicks. Not only that, but there were several times when he could have come for the ball and helped out his defenders but instead he chose to stay on the line and left his defenders in the deep end. With a young defence learning the ropes, the goalkeeper needs to be more commanding and that is something De Gea must work on in the near future.

#5 Patience is key for the Red Devils

Even before the first competitive game of the season, Van Gaal was key to point out that he cannot change everything all at once and he needs time to work his style onto the players. As bad as the opening few games have been, at least there is a sense of a bigger picture at work, something which was conspicuous by its absence last time around. With the transfer of Daley Blind all but done and several key players to come back from injury in the coming weeks, it isn’t all doom and gloom for Manchester United.

If they can add perhaps a defensive midfielder and an experienced centre back, before the transfer window slams shut, the squad will have a good balance. With no other competitions to worry about, the side can concentrate on cracking the top four, but for now, with a ton of injuries, the fans and players alike must be patient and keep the faith in the club and Van Gaal.