Manchester derby damp squib as City and United keener to avoid defeat than claim victory

Louis van Gaal was unable to find a way past Manchester City

THE most expensive array of footballers ever assembled on a Premier League pitch managed to leave the fans wanting their money back at Old Trafford.

 

Two teams whose combined cost was around £570m produced the most anti-climatic Manchester derby of recent times.

There were numerous fouls, countless misplaced passes, precious little quality, hardly any goalmouth action and no great controversy.

There were so few clear-cut chances that the two goalkeepers were required to make only one serious save - Joe Hart tipping round Chris Smalling's effort - although Jesse Lingard did strike the bar as United mounted a belated attacking charge.

 

In the final analysis, it was a case of two teams of undoubted quality simply cancelling each other out. Both teams clearly took the view at this early stage of the season it was better to pick up a point than lose.

We have been spoiled in recent years with some all-action goal-fests - the last time the derby finished goal-less was in 2010 and this was only the second stalemate between the two clubs in the Premier League era.

So many of the star names on parade failed to sparkle that many of the 75,329 crowd were heading for the exits early, while the millions of global TV viewers were no doubt tapping the remote to see if there was anything better on.

 

Jesse Lingard struck the bar, the closest either side came to a goal

 

Ander Herrera was convinced he was tripped by Raheem Sterling

Wayne Rooney, well shackled by Vincent Kompany and Nicolas Otamendi, cut a frustrated figure again and never threatened to embellish his status as the all-time record scorer in the derby.

He had a gashed head stapled after colliding with Kompany in the first half but there seemed more hope of getting blood out of a stone than the United captain getting a chance to celebrate his 30th birthday a day before the game.

But Rooney was not the only one to disappoint. Bastian Schweinsteiger and Juan Mata, for all their quality and experience, failed to make any real impact and both were substituted.

Anthony Martial, the youngest player on the pitch and appearing in his first derby, was the one United player who constantly worried City with his pace and trickery.

City badly missed the attacking inspiration of Aguero and Silva. Wilfried Bony, Yaya Toure, Kevin De Bruyne and Raheem Sterling all disappointed as Manuel Pellegrini's side failed to recapture the attacking verve that had brought 11 goals in their last two Premier League games.

 

To be fair, both teams were supremely well organised. Defenders took all the honours with Kompany and Smalling both towering figures at either end of the pitch, ably abetted by Otamendi and Jones respectively.

City will be the happier team.

They were the away side and the hard-earned point, achieved without their two best players Aguero and Silva, was enough to take them back to the top of the table on goal difference form Arsenal.

Pellegrini rightly took some satisfaction from an uncharacteristically dull display - only City's third goal-less draw since he took over - that at least answered some of the criticism that his team cannot defend.

United were so punchless in the in the first half that for the first time since the Opta stats began in 2003-04 they failed to managed an attempt on goal before half-time.

 



As United pushed on, Joe Hart had to be at his brilliant best to deny the Red Devils



 

City always looked dangerous on the break but too often they ran into the brick wall of Smalling, Jones and Marcos Rojo who gave in-form De Bruyne no change.

In the second half, United at least looked the team who wanted to win more with City retreating into a defensive shell.

Smalling registered their first attempt on goal in the 51st minute - a header that dropped wide of the far post .

And they built up a head of steam towards the end when they went close to breaking the deadlock with those efforts from sub Lingard - on for Mata - and Smalling.

Lingard's flick from Martial's lofted pass beat Hart but struck the bar, while Smalling's shot was smuggled round by Hart after substitute Marounae Fellaini had headed down Ander Herrera's free-kick.

They also claimed they should have had a penalty early in the second half when Herrera's legs appeared to be hooked away by Sterling but referee Mark Clattenburg was unmoved.

So we were left with a forgettable stalemate to underline that spending does not always equate to entertainment - certainly not when the stakes are so high.

Man Utd (4-2-3-1): De Gea 6; Valencia 6 (Darmian 81, 5), Jones 6, Smalling 7, Rojo 7; Schneiderlin 7, Schweinsteiger 6 (Fellaini 64, 5); Mata 6 (Lingard 66, 5), Herrera 6, Martial 7; Rooney 5.

Booked: Mata, Schneiderlin. NEXT UP: Middlesbrough (h), Wed COC.

Man City (4-2-3-1): Hart 6; Sagna 6, Kompany 7, Otamendi 7, Kolarov 6; Fernandinho 7, Fernando 6; De Bruyne 5, Toure 5 (Demichelis, 5), Sterling 5 (Navas 55, 5); Bony 5 (Kelechi 83, 5). Booked: Fernandinho, Kompany. NEXT UP: Crystal Palace, (h), Wed COC.

Referee: M. Clattenburg (Tyne and Wear).