Manchester United 0-1 West Bromwich Albion: 3 Talking Points
Manchester United fell to defeat at The Hawthorns and now sit in sixth in the Premier League table.
After a run of results that suggested Manchester United could end the season on a high, a 1-0 defeat to West Bromwich Albion put everything in perspective.
Four consecutive wins in all competitions, coupled with much brighter performances, meant United began March hoping to end it in the top four of the Premier League.
The chance to knock Liverpool out of the Europa League and reach an FA Cup semi-final at Wembley were further incentives.
Now, though, following another dismal performance in the defeat to West Brom, it seems as if every time United make progress it’s only a matter of time before it’s halted.
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After Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal drew yesterday, United had the chance to gain points on both clubs with a win against West Brom. Three points would have seen United pick up eight more points than Arsenal in the last week.
As it was, 10-man United fell meekly to defeat and will now seemingly battle it out with West Ham United and Liverpool to finish fifth in the Premier League.
Here are three talking points from the game at The Hawthorns.
What’s happened to Matteo Darmian?
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The Italian was signed somewhat under the radar. He starred for Italy at the World Cup and played well against England, but his transfer still came as a surprise. Darmian, though, looked brilliant in pre-season and started the campaign excellently, defending with great awareness and overlapping often on the right flank.
Against Southampton in mid-September, everything seemed to change. Darmian was withdrawn at the interval after being given a torrid time by Dusan Tadic. Since then, he has suffered a number of injuries, been withdrawn in various different games and not looked like the same player who shone in a United shirt during his first month at the club.
At West Brom, Darmian looked so short on confidence. Time after time, he worked his way into a good attacking position on the right wing, only to turn back and play a safe pass or see his attempted cross blocked. In possession, he just didn’t look assertive and was eventually replaced by Tim Fosu-Mensah. With Guillermo Varela so promising since the turn of the year, the question has to be asked: Who should be United’s first-choice right-back?
Why are Louis van Gaal’s substitutions so strange?
One problem throughout Van Gaal’s tenure has been bizarre substitutions. For all the talk of the Tim Krul-Jasper Cillessen switch that was so discussed during the 2014 World Cup, the Dutchman’s changes at United have been largely woeful. Against West Brom, there were two more confusing substitutions.
The first – Morgan Schneiderlin for Ander Herrera – saw United drop deep and, for want of a better word, settle for a 0-0. West Brom inevitably scored on their first real attack after the switch, which took all of United’s impetus away. It was so difficult to explain, so incomprehensible given that United needed to score and win the match.
The second change – Fosu-Mensah for Darmian – was logical in the sense that the Italian was playing poorly. Except United were losing the game 1-0 and there was 10 minutes left. Instead of making a like-for-like switch at right-back, why did Van Gaal not throw on James Weir or Marouane Fellaini – both midfielders – in order to try and rescue a point. Even punting up long balls to Fellaini would have been understandable. As it was, the game petered out to nothing. Juan Mata’s red card was nonsensical, but Van Gaal’s substitutions were equally bemusing.
What can United realistically achieve this season?
There was a feeling, however misplaced, that United’s run of victories in the last fortnight could act as platform from which to finish in the top four and win a trophy or two. It was fanciful, but in this crazy season, stranger things have happened. The defeat to West Brom, particularly the manner of it, has put an end to that sort of talk.
In the same way United lost at Sunderland last month, losing to West Brom raises so many questions regarding the progress (lack thereof) made this season. After stringing together four decent wins, United fell so meekly to defeat against West Brom. At no point in the game did the home side look troubled in defence. At no point in the game did United look capable of winning.
The performance and result begs the question: What can United realistically achieve now? The title has long been out of reach, and it appears a top-four finish may be improbable. But since the bare minimum for any United team is to earn Champions League football, it might just be that the Europa League represents United’s best chance of playing in Europe’s premier competition next season. After all, Van Gaal has a decent record against decent teams at United. It’s against the smaller teams where he has come unstuck.
Finishing fifth, reaching an FA Cup final at Wembley and winning the Europa League might just be the best United could hope for. Even then, at this stage and after that defeat to West Brom, it looks like an ambitious set of targets.
Next: WBA 1-0 United: Match Report
Making bold statements and predictions after one game is always dangerous, especially with this United team, but the loss to West Brom felt symbolic. After a decent spell in the last few weeks, the game was a reminder that this is a side with so many problems, the biggest of which might just be the manager.