MAN UTD 0, WEST BROM 0
The 19 points Manchester United have dropped at Old Trafford will probably cost them a top-four finish and route into the Champions League.
The Reds were held at home for an eighth time this campaign as West Brom left with a share of the spoils – Manchester City remain the only victors.
While Jose Mourinho can point to 19 games unbeaten in the Premier League, there has been far too many draws in that sequence as they remain fifth and four points adrift of the top four.
And United’s patched up United side – Paul Pogba, Chris Smalling, Phil Jones and Juan Mata were injured while Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Ander Herrera were suspended – can have few complaints.
Though former Reds’ keeper Ben Foster made three great saves in the second half, United produced little against a well organised Baggies’ side – they were big and strong throughout the team and often had eight and nine players packed behind the ball.
When you saw the lack of creativity in the Reds’ side, there was a fear they wouldn’t have the tools required to unpick the Baggies’ defence, and so it proved.
It was certainly not a great spectacle to watch like the 5-5 draw in Sir Alex Ferguson’s last match as manager.
Current manager Jose Mourinho was left frustrated.
He said: “It was more of the same. We have had a lot of it this season – total control, but an amazing defensive performance.
“Their keeper was magnificent, deja vu, as that has also happened lots of times.”
Mourinho pointed to the chances his side created and continued: “We need to kill opponents and score a goal for all our dominance.
“Had we scored we would have won 3-0 and it would have made it a different game.
“When you see we scored no goal at home, people may think we are a defensive and counter-attacking team, but that is the complete opposite.
“We deserved to win, but I am not critical of West Brom. They clearly came for a point – if you ask Tony Pulis he will say they did. And one point is good for them as their objective is to finish in the top 10.”
Mourinho also pinpointed the inconsistency of certain players, something he says has been a recurrent theme throughout the season.
He explained: “Valencia, Young, Bailly, Fellaini, Carrick were consistent throughout the 90 minutes, but others weren’t.
“They give flashes and glimpses of talent for 10 minutes, but they disappear and they are always the same players.
“It is always the same players in front pulling the train.”
Mourinho described is as an “amazing unbeaten run in the modern Premier League” adding they have drawn too many games at home.
Pulis praised the resilience of his players on a day when he said they gave away possession too easily.
He added it would be wrong to dismiss United: “I would not be against them winning the league. It may not be this year, but certainly next year.”
There were three changes from the side that started the win at Middlesbrough as Smalling, Jones and Mata were replaced by Marcos Rojo, Anthony Martial and Henrikh Mkhitaryan.
They were also thin on the ground on the bench where 20-year-old striker Matthew Willcock made his first senior appearance while rookies Axel Tuanzebe and Tim Fosu-Mensah were alongside him.
The Baggies’ side included former Reds Darren Fletcher, Jonny Evans and Foster.
It was a lukewarm start and it was soon evident United, without so many key players, would have trouble unlocking the visiting defence.
They were restricted to speculative efforts as Jesse Lingard blazed over, Martial had a shot deflected wide for a corner and Marcus Rashford curled an effort wide.
United’s clearest chance came on the half hour when Martial, six yard out, headed narrowly wide from Lingard’s right-wing cross.
It was a measure of the mind-numbingly boring football that neither side had a shot on target in the opening 45 minutes, though United had nine goals attempts to one and 76-per-cent of possession.
And it was a case of more of the same at the start of the second period, though the Baggies had a chance when Fletcher’s weak goalbound shot was blocked by Eric Bailly.
United had a great chance to take the lead in the 54th minute when, following a neat passing move, Marouane Fellaini shot narrowly wide.
Martial then went close as a shot from the left of the box flew just wide of the far upright as United began to crank up the tempo.
There was another chance when Mkhitaryan charge down a clearance and raced clear. Foster spread himself well to deflect his shot that rolled harmlessly wide.
Rashford then had a thunderbolt drive from 30 yards that Foster did well to turn to safety.
United made their first change with 16 minutes left – the Baggies had already done all three – as Mkhitaryan was replaced by Rooney.
And the change almost brought about an immediate reward when Ashley Young cut the ball back from the left and Rooney’s near-post shot was deflected just wide for a corner.
Rashford had another effort that flashed just behind before the Baggies had their one and only chance of the game.
Fletcher’s 25-yard drive looked a routine save for David De Dea who flapped and turned the ball on to the crossbar before it rebounded into his arms. A few inches lower and it would have been a goal.
United had one late chance when Rashford’s free kick from 30 yards was arrowing towards the top corner before Foster made the save of the game to turn it over the bar.