Alan Pardew, for one, believes that it’s Anthony Martial (football’s most expensive teenager) that represents Louis van Gaal’s best chance of breaking the duck.
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Crystal Palace midfielder Yohan Cabaye has put the boot into Manchester United’s tactics stating that the Red Devils are easy to play against as they do not offer as much of a threat as they used to under Sir Alex Ferguson.
When Martial joined United, Van Gaal deployed him as the main striker and he flourished in the central role. “It was a big target for us to stop him and we felt that if we could do that we can stop their creative angle”, said Pardew. [Louis van Gaal] had to be very careful to keep Martial’s exuberance there because we were all looking to stop him.
Captain Wayne Rooney came in for criticism after another quiet display but Pardew defended the England worldwide who he feels lacked service. “I think he handled himself very well today because he would have felt our presence around him and still he had moments in the game”.
“I remember I played against Man United for Newcastle they could score at every moment in a game”, he told reporters.
“There was a lot of attention around him but we got space in other areas and that’s another plus to someone like Yohan”.
The Eagles boss watched on as his side held Van Gaal’s men to a drab 0-0 stalemate at Selhurst Park on Saturday, with chances few and far between for the visitors.
“In defence of Wayne, I didn’t really think he got a lot of good possession, I don’t think he got a lot of chances to create anything”.
“I know Rooney can function in this team but they’re playing two holding midfielders, which nullifies a lot of what they’re doing”.
“The guy has been world class but I just don’t think he’s got the pace he had when he was a young boy in terms of going in behind and turning defenders”.
“We have played him in the striking position, and that was not the first time for him but in Monaco he played on the left wing”.
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They have failed to score a single goal in their last three games in all competitions, which included an exit on penalties to Championship club Middlesbrough in the fourth round of the League Cup. 5 billion ($55.5 million) transfer.
