Villa denied as United go through motions

13 April 2012

Maybe the weather was to blame for such an awful game or maybe it was the early kickoff. More likely, however, is that this was just another example of why Manchester United are struggling to rise to the challenges of Europe.

Manager Sir Alex Ferguson may pay lip service to the fact that this is the closest Premiership title race in years and at the same time give thanks for the benefits such increased competition brings to his side in Europe. But the truth is that the gulf in class between the summit of the English game and those toiling in the foothills of the top flight remains vast.

Too often United are allowed to drift through games at half pace and here on a cold, grey, blustery early afternoon at Old Trafford was a further, stark example. United did not play well nor ever threaten to. But they never needed to. It was never a genuine contest and it is afternoons like this that only hamper their European cause.

Aston Villa - for all manager Graham Taylor's tactical wisdom - were unambitious, lacking in imagination and clearly frightened of what may befall them if they dared trade punches with the champions. The result was an excuse for a football match, played in horrible conditions on a newly laid, and far from perfect, pitch.

It was the type of game that made you want to leave at half-time and spend the afternoon in the equally soulless surroundings of the neighbouring Trafford Centre. At least it would have been warm.

For United, the game brought them three more points - they have now amassed 36 from the last 39 - and sit comfortably at the top of the Premiership. As far as their prospects in Champions League phase

two are concerned, however, it will have done them no good at all.

As they discovered once again in Nantes last Wednesday, Europe's most demanding competition has no place for those unable to reach the peaks of mental and physical performance. On Tuesday at Old Traf-ford, Nantes will be the opposition once again and United's preparation could hardly have been worse.

Unlike Villa, the French champions will arrive looking to attack and will play the same ambitious, cavalier football that so embarrassed United last week. Bottom of Group A, they have nothing to lose.

Villa boss Taylor has no reason to apologise, of course. He is still assessing what he has inherited from John Gregory, and the last thing he needs at this stage is a thumping live on TV.

Taylor said: 'There are too many of my players who are too content to play the easy ball. That's not good enough. It was a poor game. My goalkeeper only made one save all game and you could say the same about Fabien Barthez at the other end.

'What disappointed me is that we didn't do the basics right. In all walks of life you will struggle if you don't get the little things right. There were times when we needed to be more ambitious. There's nothing wrong with throwing the ball long into the penalty area from time to time.'

For Taylor there were some positive notes, most notably the contribution from Gareth Barry. Out of the Villa squad for most of the season, the former England defender performed admirably on the left side of midfield.

Unfortunately, it was his mid-field colleague George Boateng who provided the game's defining moment as the Holland star lost possession to Roy Keane on the edge of the penalty area, creating the opening for Ruud van Nistelrooy to turn and sweep home his 29th goal of the season.

Earlier, Van Nistelrooy had spurned the game's other genuine chance when Keane headed on a measured pass from Juan Sebastian Veron.

That was certainly unlike him and it was fitting he should make amends on the day another United striker of great esteem, Denis Law, should watch from the stands after seeing a statue in his honour unveiled before kick-off.

'Ruud is an excellent player,' said Law, scorer of 236 goals for United in the 1960s. As a defender I'm sure you cannot relax against him. He seems to have that Scottish approach - he doesn't give up.'

United's qualities again appear to be too great and too varied for the rest of the Premiership. To succeed in Europe, however, they will have to find another gear.

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Villa denied as United go through motions

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