Manchester United 0-0 Middlesbrough (1-3 pens)

Manchester United were knocked out of the Capital One Cup by Middlesbrough on penalties on Wednesday night, but the general lack of creativity and attacking intent in 90 minutes and extra-time was what really cost Louis van Gaal’s side in the game.

With James Wilson’s weak effort the only shot on target in an uneventful first half, the Dutch manager turned to captain Wayne Rooney at the interval in the hope of sparking a response.

While the general play did improve in the second period, Rooney’s introduction didn’t change the game, and it was only when Anthony Martial was brought on for the disappointing Memphis Depay that United looked better in attack.

The young Frenchman had a glorious opportunity to score, but a mere six shots on target over the course of 120 minutes evidenced United’s struggles going forward on the night.

Here are the player ratings from the game:

Sergio Romero – 5

The Argentine looked every bit as clumsy and haphazard as you might expect. His shot-stopping ability remains fairly impressive – Grant Leadbitter was thwarted when through on goal and Stewart Downing’s low shot from inside the box was palmed away very effectively – but he nearly scored the most embarrassing of own goals when his poor control allowed the ball to slip under his foot and roll just wide of the post. It was a performance that demonstrated why David De Gea has no real competition to speak of for the No. 1 jersey at United.

Matteo Darmian – 6

The Italian defended well but failed to offer a threat in attack. Following an outstanding start to life at United and then a shaky period in which he was substituted early in games and eventually dropped in favour of Antonio Valencia, this was a performance that fell somewhere in between the two extremes.

Chris Smalling – 7

As has been the case all season, Smalling was commanding from the back and helped limit Middlesbrough to pot-shots and half-chances. In truth, Kike was the ideal opponent for him to face – his speed and strength meant the Spaniard failed to have an impact on the match. There were, however, a few errant passes from Smalling, which remains the one area of his game that he needs to improve.

Daley Blind – 6

Aside from nearly outdoing Romero and scoring an even more calamitous own goal, the Dutchman had a fairly uneventful evening. He was untroubled in defence but failed to find the range of passing that proved so effective in the early stages of the season. Blind’s versatility is his greatest strength and weakness – but it’s to his credit that he can now play in three positions for United and look comfortable.

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Marcos Rojo – 6

The Argentine has had a strange fortnight. Performances against Everton and Manchester City were arguably his best since joining United last year, but an unimpressive display against CSKA Moscow was followed up by a nondescript showing versus Middlesbrough. Rojo didn’t necessarily do anything wrong – two of his crosses in the second half were reminiscent of his assist for Ander Herrera’s goal at Goodison Park – but eventually he was withdrawn for Ashley Young as Van Gaal tried to win the game in normal time.

Michael Carrick – 5

The 34-year-old was perhaps United’s best outfield player last season, but the signings of Morgan Schneiderlin and Bastian Schweinsteiger have limited his chances in recent weeks, and this performance won’t be enough to break up that pairing when United face Crystal Palace at the weekend. Carrick looked laboured in the middle and, although his team-mates did him no favours, he struggled to dictate the game with his passing. A missed penalty in the shootout compounded a disappointing night for the vice-captain.

Marouane Fellaini – 6

The big Belgian has been a decent player for United ever since he kick-started a comeback against West Bromwich Albion in October last season. Although he’s not good enough to start games, his performance against Middlesbrough did at least highlight why he’s an effective back-up player. Some of his touches gave United a foothold in the attacking half of the pitch, and a blocked shot from a trademark bit of chest control was as good a chance as United mustered in the first half of the game. Like Carrick, Fellaini didn’t do enough to warrant a place in the starting XI at the weekend, but unlike Carrick, he didn’t play poorly.

Andreas Pereira – 7

The 19-year-old was one of United’s better players in the game. A very comfortable technician on the ball, he went close to scoring a second goal at the Stretford End in this competition when a low drive from a clever body feint went narrowly wide of the post. It was fitting that he was the only United player to score in the shootout. This was ultimately another performance that highlighted the Brazilian’s burgeoning potential.

Jesse Lingard – 7

At 22, Lingard is no longer a ‘young’ player as such. For his own good, a loan move in the summer seemed the best option at this stage of his career, but it’s to his great credit that he has forced his way into the first team at United in the last few weeks. In the second game running, he went closest to scoring a goal when he struck the woodwork from an angled drive that deserved better. All in all, though, it was Lingard’s dribbling and willingness to take some risks that impressed the most. He was the standout player on the night.

Memphis Depay – 4

The Dutchman endured a miserable night. In a game that was supposed to give him a chance to rediscover his confidence, he gave the ball away time after time and resorted to shooting aimlessly from outside the box. On one such occasion, he tried his luck from the halfway line. In the second half, though, a desperately bad cross-field pass drew audible moans from the Old Trafford crowd, and he was unsurprisingly substituted shortly afterwards. Memphis is no doubt a remarkably talented player and will rightly get time to fine-tune his game, but at the moment it’s best he remains out of the team for his own good.

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James Wilson – 6

Making his first start in a United shirt in over nine months, Wilson lasted just 45 minutes before being replaced by Rooney. At the time, it seemed a harsh decision, but it was later revealed that the 19-year-old was struggling with an injury. His first-half performance did little to suggest he will get the playing time he needs in the coming weeks and months, but it was hardly an opportunity missed on Wilson’s part. Instead, it wasn’t the kind of game where he could showcase his finishing ability.

Substitutes:

Wayne Rooney – 5

Introduced at half-time for the injured Wilson, Rooney started the second half playing as a No. 9 but finished the extra-time period playing as a central midfielder. It would be harsh to blame him in away way for the defeat, but this was yet another performance in which he struggled physically and looked to be shoehorned into the team. His penalty miss in the shootout will ultimately be fuel to the fire of his many detractors.

Ashley Young – 5

Replacing Rojo in a bid to add greater width down the left-hand side, Young seemed unable to get into crossing positions often enough. He missed the decisive penalty that handed Middlesbrough the win.

Anthony Martial – 7

It is simultaneously worrying and exciting how United seem to depend on the Frenchman to ignite the attack. When he was brought on midway through the second half, there was suddenly pace and directness in the play. He did miss the best chance of the match when he glanced a header agonisingly wide late on, but it’s hard to imagine that United would have failed to score had he been on the pitch for the entire game.