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| Van Gaal tried to side with United fans after the Villa game |
One-nils at United are usually acceptable. Go back three years to the slender successes against Reading and Sunderland: Two ugly and unmemorable matches settled by the boot of an opponent. Those games seem as distant as the Premier League peak but the pragmatism helped tighten United's grip on first as they homed in on a 20th championship.
Even Ferguson's strongest squad - the champions of England, champions of Europe (and champions of the world) eked out 10 1-0 wins in 2008-09 on course to making it 18 times (and that's a fact). One-nils at United are usually acceptable but not this weekend.
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| 1-0 does it for Ronaldo and United against Everton in 2009 |
They are challenging for the ignominy of fourth place - the 'achievement' synonymous with Arsenal's small-time mentality and dressing room selfies - not the title. The very least the supporters deserved against possibly the worst team of the Premier League era was for United to play entertainingly and expansively. They did neither.
United recorded their second 1-0 against Villa this season while mustering three attempts on target. Villa, relegated due to the result, arguably created as many clear-cut chances, with Daley Blind vigilantly thwarting Rudy Gestede before he struck a post and Ciaran Clark testing David de Gea's agility during two madcap minutes.
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| Villa had good chances to equalise |
One-nils can be fun. One of Eric Cantona's most vivacious United performances was in the 1-0 win over Everton in January 1994 on an afternoon supporters inside Old Trafford struggled to hold back the tears two days after Sir Matt Busby passed away. A lone piper led out the teams and, during the game, Cantona was The Pied Piper. United danced to his tune on a day they appropriately played football taught by Matt Busby.
In more recent 1-0s, United were enterprising at Chelsea in their 2011 Champions League quarter-final first leg. At Sunderland on that fateful final day in 2012, United could have won by a scoreline that would have seen them usurp City on goal difference. Even under Van Gaal, they were watchable at the Etihad for an hour last month.
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| United were excellent at Sunderland in 2012 |
Against Villa, United sleepwalked. Tiredness might have been a factor after the valiant FA Cup quarter-final win at West Ham on Wednesday, yet Louis van Gaal freshened up the team by restoring £114.1million worth of talent to the line-up.
That adventurousness aside, Van Gaal gave United another reason to sack him in the summer. Why, having switched to 4-3-3 at West Ham and witnessed the benefits of it, did he revert back to 4-2-3-1? The formation was as predictable as the scoreline. Van Gaal hinted 4-3-3 would be temporary in the West Ham press room: “It is of course a risk.”
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| Van Gaal's risk-aversive football has not endeared himself to United fans |
Irrespective of his visionary pass that contributed to the winner, Wayne Rooney is a hindrance to United. For three years now, it has been patent for United and England he should either start as the striker or on the bench, only he is managed by indulgent and starstruck coaches who are under the illusion he can still flourish as a playmaker.
Rooney was decent on his first start in two months, although that is hardly an achievement against Villa. By starting him and Rashford, Van Gaal relied on the inflexibility of 4-2-3-1 and, most inexcusably, started two holding midfielders against relegation fodder. Van Gaal has done this at home against Villa, Newcastle, Sunderland and Norwich - the bottom four sides. Fifth from bottom Crystal Palace arrive in M16 on Wednesday.
Credit to manchestereveningnews
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