Man Utd 0 - 0 West BromWest Bromwich Albion frustrate Manchester United the Tony Pulis wayGiven Manchester United missed Zlatan Ibrahimovic and West Bromwich Albion often spoil, a pre-game joke concerned 0-0 being the likely outcome.
So it came to pass. Manchester United, though, deserve full credit for trying to take all of the points. West Brom patently did not and it is hardly unfair to class the approach of Tony Pulis’s said here as anti-football. There are acceptable ways of securing a draw and to take overlong at throw-ins and goal-kicks and hoof the ball aimlessly upfield is not one of these.
From opening whistle this was a virtual 90-minute contest of United’s attack-versus West Brom’s defence and by the close the former were frustrated and the latter far happier.
After fumbled touches from Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford the former burst into life by skating along a left channel. The ball broke to Jesse Lingard and he aimed the opening shot over. Despite how Pulis’s sides can operate it was still a surprise to see Darren Fletcher, once of this parish, hooking one ball hopelessly into United’s half.
In Lingard, Rashford, Martial and Henrikh Mkhitaryan the home side had pace, as was shown when Lingard fed Martial and the Frenchman raced towards Ben Foster’s goal. Lingard kept going to provide an overlap but Martial chose to shoot.
Mourinho made three changes from the 3-1 victory at Middlesbrough. All were enforced by injury, with Marcos Rojo, Mkhitaryan and Martial coming in for to Chris Smalling, Phil Jones and Juan Mata.
Mourinho has long bewailed United’s fixture congestion and with several key players missing the test was to avoid today being when it bit. Alongside the suspended Ibrahimovic and Ander Herrera, Paul Pogba was also absent due to injury.
This made the manager’s selection bleak for Wayne Rooney and Luke Shaw. The captain still could not force a way into the XI and was a replacement. The left-back’s day was worse, as Mourinho deemed Shaw not even good enough for the XVIII.
When United quickened proceedings they rattled West Brom. Mkhitaryan went left-right across the turf, the ball came to Michael Carrick, then Lingard, and his cross flashed before Foster. The next time Lingard delivered, the ball came on a perfect parabola. Martial rose impressively but could only head high.
On 32 minutes West Brom finally troubled the United defence and it would prove virtually the only such occasion. The starved Hal Robson-Kanu drew a foul from Rojo. Mourinho showed disgust at Mike Dean’s decision but was been pleased to see James McClean’s effort cannon off Rashford in the wall.
All of the absentees meant Mourinho’s bench lacked game-changers. Only Rooney was in the category and as the second half began the manager retained the same personnel.
Pulis’s defence-first-and-last style meant any United goal would be priceless. After Antonio Valencia nutmegged McClean, Allan Nyom took over, but ceded possession to Rashford. The No19 executed a couple of step-overs but when he let fly the blue-and-white defensive wall did its job. A few moments later Fletcher provoked some Pulis ire with a weak attempt and when play move down the other end Martial miscontrolled.
Next Mkhitaryan blazed and saw the ball rebound to Marouane Fellaini and he missed badly when firing through a melee. United continued to press the issue. When Martial allowed the ball to run from him he repositioned and took aim from 25 yards. The game still remained 0-0, though.
Mourinho had professed himself a friend of Pulis before this match. Yet he surely cannot be enamoured with the visiting manager’s instruction to his team to take as much time as it could whenever possible.
Still, United tried. Martial floated in the ball and up jumped Rashford to miss connecting by a fraction. Mkhitaryan broke free and drew a desperate save from Foster. Rashford unloaded from around 30 yards and the keeper, again, saved the Baggies.
On 75 minutes Mourinho brought on Rooney and the forward, who last featured on 4 March against Bournemouth, had a near-instant impact. Young zipped into the area and turned the ball back towards Rooney but it went for a corner.
At the close Rashford nearly grabbed the win but Foster, once more, kept United out. They are now 19 unbeaten in the league but given Liverpool’s earlier victory a draw is not of much value.
Guardian