Two decades have past since United last went seven consecutive top-flight matches without managing more than one goal per game.
Between December 1991 and February 1992 United struggled to destroy opponents. It was to contribute to their title downfall and extended their search for a League crown to 26 years.
Twelve months later and they were still struggling to blow teams away.
Then came Fergie’s Cantona masterstroke. 19 years ago tomorrow the French genius made his Reds debut and transformed the side into a merciless machine.
Over Christmas and into 1993, Cantona netted three times and the Reds’ goal tally rose by 15 in four matches. That elusive title win was ultimately the result of the Gallic touch.
Now United could do with a similar injection of firepower and ‘je ne sais quoi’ to keep pace with the Premier League’s hotshots.
This campaign has become a fraught endurance test for United fans and players alike with the Reds only able to score one goal per game in their last seven league matches.
Those halcyon days of early-season when the Reds blazed a goal trail are a distant memory.
The failure to turn dominance into destruction was never better illustrated than at Villa Park.
The spotlight was trained on the toothless Reds after their rivals for the Premier League title all picked up wins.
It cannot have made great listening for the United camp in their dressing room before the tea-time kick-off in the Midlands as the scores came in from around the country.
Astonishing
League leaders City had advanced their astonishing goal output by five.
Tottenham and Chelsea had scored three apiece and Arsenal were on their way back from Wigan with four in the bag.
The pressure was on the champions to match those kinds of figures and at least not lose ground to the Blues on the goal difference front, which had grown to a colossal plus-17 by the time the Reds kicked off.
The champions could even have nibbled away slightly at that superior stat, such was the paucity of an Aston Villa side who clearly lacked confidence and were booed off both at half-time and at the final whistle by their disgruntled support.
When a home side spends the entire first hour or so giving the ball back to you it is criminal not to make them suffer.
And it looked like United would be able to show their attacking ability when, despite the setback of losing striker Javier Hernandez with torn ankle ligaments that will keep him out for four weeks, they took a 20th minute lead against Alex McLeish’s woeful side.
Phil Jones is probably not that long-term inspirational goal-getter the Reds need, but then again would you put anything past this incredible 19-year-old?
Jones has been hiding this finishing prowess under a bushel, but having lost Chicharito the Lancastrian did a more than passable impression of the Mexican poacher.
A piercing cross from Nani to the edge of the six-yard area is the kind of service that has brought Chicharito so many of his goals.
Without him you wondered if Nani’s dangerous ball in was going to be wasted but in stormed Jones to convert the opportunity with a composed side-foot volley.
The mystery and concern is that United did not capitalise on the early breakthrough and put Villa to the sword.
They were there for the taking but United’s early panache turned into a plod.
Reds boss Fergie acknowledges the champions are searching for their killer touch but believes four 1-0 wins out of five league games since the 6-1 derby defeat to City is the route to redemption.
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The positive from this match is the defensive stability from playing our best defenders together with our best defensive midfielder.
Looks like Fergie has settled on that formula that brought us lots of joy last season.
He should remember that all his great sides have had a stabile back four and a stabile goalkeeper.
The midfield with Carrick, Jones and Rooney in front of them has good potential, and with Cleverley back after Christmas it will improve further.
Could even play with Carrick deep and Cleverley'n Jones in front of him. That should be a good mix that could prove useful when Rooney plays lone striker in the "Messi role". Maybe a success formula for the Champion League??
What we really need now is that our wingers pick up their form from last season. Then it could get really interesting come New Year.
Seems to me that the lack of goals is primarily the result of poor crossing and final ball from the wide players. Both Young and Valencia have regressed after promising starts to their OT careers and look very ordinary now. Nani seems to be the only one prepared to run at defenders but he is too erratic and inconsistent. It does'nt help playing Rooney deeper to compensate for our defiencies in midfield either. This team is crying out for a bit of flair and creativity and I am convinced that one player, such as a Cantona, would change us from a good to average team to a very good team but still well behind Barca & RM.
Personally I don't care if they win them all 1 nil as long as they attack. The ball will eventually go in the net. Having said that Rooney needs to up his game and there is no more to be said. If he wants to be counted amongst the elite players then he has to start infuencing games in front of goal and stay out of midfield. Spraying passes 70 yards across the field does not do it for me. Get in the box and put the ball in the back of the net. Cause trouble for the opposition. Messi is always running at someone same with Ronaldo, Rooney has to attack in the same manner. Not just Rooney either Young, Nani, Chic, Welbeck and the rest have to press the issue. Sometimes it seems as if we don't want to run up and down the field as if we are saving ourselves for something else.
The last few games service from midfield has been adequate but the problem has been the strikers not doing their jobs.
The answer is not in the transfer market. We are creating plenty of openings, just not getting the ball in the net. It's not a great concern with the quality we have up front, it will come.
People need to remember how different a team we are when everyone's fit - Cleverley's neat and tidy and Carrick does the quiet things (creates space, recycles posession etc.) better than anyone else at the club at the moment. Maybe we do need another midfielder because it's hardly fair to put so much pressure on someone so young (Cleverley and to an extent Jones) - but we've been unlucky with injuries and have to trust that the squad we have will get it right again... I don't see Anderson having much of a future though, I'd play Jones in there ahead of him.
When we get Cleverley back we can play Rooney as our number 10 again, arriving late in the box, generally dropping into space, and Welbeck or Hernandez up front to add the pace and movement to throw defences and create the space for Rooney to operate.
Now that we have an earlier than expected chance to get one over City - the league could get interesting... The FA cup 3rd round could be pivotal as long as we can keep in touch with them until then...
Well that was an awful game! Two hours of my life I'll never get back............
a little cautionary tale here we once had a run of 8 games which we won 7 games at 1 0 and one at 2 0 and the manager was still sacked. The manager being Dave Sexton so lets just tell Fergie not to be to smug Its not the result as it is the performanc that matters
NO!
Thrice times NO!