Toothless United shows much work remains for Van Gaal

As Manchester United toiled unsuccessfully in search of an equalising goal against a resolute Southampton during Sunday’s Barclays Premier League clash, the expression on the face of the flat-capped Sir Alex Ferguson matched the general mood in the ground during what was a frustrating day for the majority of those inside the Theatre of Dreams.

From his now familiar perch in the directors’ box, Ferguson peered out through a malaise as a hapless United succumbed to a Dusan Tadic strike 20 minutes from time that was just reward for the visitors.

Such was the lack of attacking threat from United it would be easy to think that many of the fans had entered a semi-state of consciousness and indeed were dreaming of the not so distant past when the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Paul Scholes and Carlos Tevez were strutting their stuff in the Manchester red.

Instead the blurred red figures chasing Saintly shadows were Angel Di Maria, Daley Blind and Juan Mata, while the only two survivors from the last great side built by Ferguson which peaked in Moscow  in 2008 - Michael Carrick and Wayne Rooney - were similarly stifled by a Southampton side which produced the most effective performance of any visiting team at Old Trafford this season.

Marshalled by the game’s outstanding player Morgan Schneiderlin and ably assisted by Victor Wanyama and Jose Fonte, Southampton outthought and outfought the home side.

With just one shot on target and less than 40 per cent of possession, Ronald Koeman’s men certainly did not outplay United, whose toothlessness was evidenced by failing to register a single shot on goal at Old Trafford for the first time since a dead rubber at the end of the 2008-09 season against Arsenal.

That game against the Gunners was subsumed in an atmosphere of celebration as United claimed the 11th league title of the Ferguson era.

Two more followed before the Scot vacated the Old Trafford hotseat for his compatriot David Moyes who only lasted 10 months into a six-year contract.

Lack lustre performances underscored by dressing room skulduggery put paid to Moyes’ tenure.

The consensus was that the job was too big for the former Preston North End and Everton manager.

United eventually lurched to seventh - their lowest finish in Premier League history - under the guidance of Ryan Giggs, the crown prince of Old Trafford.

But who would take over as the new ruler of the kingdom? Step forward King Louis.

Van Gaal strode into Manchester with an impressive CV in club management and off the back of leading an average Dutch side to a third place finish at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

Over £150million pound later and United sit in a Champions League qualifying spot and face a match against the lowest ranked team left in the competition for a place in the fifth round of the FA Cup.

Despite a Capital One Cup exit following a wretched display at MK Dons, the United ship is generally considered to be on course.

Louis Van Gaal saw his United side slip to fourth in the Premier League following defeat to Southampton

However, Van Gaal bristled in the Southampton post-match press conference when it was pointed out that at the same stage of the league campaign under Moyes, United had also amassed 37 points from 21 games scoring 35 goals compared to 34 so far this season.

The fact that Southampton stopper Fraser Forster was not called into action once during the preceding 90 minutes was compounded by the fact that the man who found the net in United’s previous outing at Stoke was kicking his £43million feet in the stands.

Van Gaal offered up that Rademal Falcao needed a rest after five games in succession which seemed a reasonable assumption considering the Colombian’s injury record since his loan move from Monaco.

However, it was hard not to imagine that a poacher of Falcao’s pedigree would not have been a better option to bring on when United were chasing the game after the injured Robin van Persie and ineffective Di Maria were replaced by Marouane Fellaini and Ander Herrera.

The ploy of using Di Maria as a second striker with Rooney playing a deeper role failed.

Despite coming closest to scoring for United with three late efforts, two of which should have at least warmed the palms of an underworked Forster, Mata scurried and shuffled but could not deliver.

Van Gaal asked to be judged after three months of the season as he began working with his new charges and implementing his “philosophy” during the pre-season tour in the United States.

So far this season his players have struggled to adapt to the 3-5-2 system he has employed in the majority of games so far.

United were on an unbeaten 10-game run before the visit of the Saints which included 3-0 wins over Liverpool and Hull City while Newcastle United were despatched 3-1.

Despite the three-goal margin, Van Gaal had the reflexes of David De Gea plus the profligacy of Liverpool’s strikers to thank for victory over Brendan Rodgers side while the Spanish stopper was the pivotal man again in setting the foundations for a smash-and-grab against Arsenal at the Emirates.

De Gea and a last minute Ashley Young clearance saw United scrape passed Stoke in early December while a visit to St Marys saw Van Gaal’s side somehow head north with  all three points despite being second best all over the park.

The Dutchman will rightly point to a crippling injury list that has undoubtedly hindered his time at Old Trafford and with Young the only first team regular unavailable for Southampton’s visit on Sunday, Van Gaal will be hoping that the second half of the season will see a reduction in the walking wounded.

However, somewhere in San Sebastian, a rueful Scot may point to the fact that as well as accruing the same number of points this time last year and spending over £100million less, United were preparing for a Capital One Cup semi-final along with a last-16 clash against Bayern Munich in the Champions League.

King Louis it’s time to deliver.