WE WERE treated to a plethora of Liverpool lip and Gallic shrugs on Tuesday night, but the star turns at Highbury failed miserably to make much of an impact where it really mattered.

Wayne Rooney and Thierry Henry have been constantly feted by the media as the great entertainers of the Premiership who can turn a match with a moment of magic. But they both dropped their wands when the Arsenal- Manchester United show needed them most.

Rooney, who has been in imperious form, contributed little apart from a running verbal exchange with referee Graham Poll over matters which did not directly concern him. The referee finally booked the United forward for his continual mouthy harassment and later could have shown him a red card if he had been better sighted for a deliberate handball.

Meanwhile, Henry was in one of those sulky moods he invariably adopts when things are not going well and, a typical free kick that sailed a foot wide apart, showed little leadership and even less threat when the match was crying out for a goal.

Former Gunners boss George Graham was in equally poor form when he declared that neither side wanted to win the game and were happy to settle for a point. This when United and Arsenal never call it quits on anything, both desperately needed to close the yawning gap on leaders Chelsea and are also anxious to gain the second automatic Champions League spot which Liverpool threaten to snatch from them.

And does the unemployed manager believe that Wes Brown was delighted to see his superb, added-time header cleared off the line, satisfied that a point was already in the bag?

Despite the disappointing goalless result and the lack of bite that former skippers Roy Keane and Patrick Vieira brought to the proceedings in the past, there were plenty of good passing movement and a few chances created. But defences were dominant and United's finishing, particularly from Cristiano Ronaldo and Ryan Giggs, was profligate.

Yet it was talisman Rooney who was the biggest disappointment. Every young player is entitled to an off day, particularly after the arduous Christmas programme, but it was apparent that his verbal assault on the match officials was born of his awareness that his own contribution was poor.

Much of the ferocity and industrial language has been removed from his protests in recent months, but it is essential Rooney stops arguing with referees as those officiating in this summer's World Cup will not be so tolerant as some in the Premiership.

Before that eagerly-awaited tournament there is much for the United star to achieve, with his club already in the Carling Cup semi-finals and the start of their bid for the FA Cup beginning this weekend at Burton Albion.

He left Everton for Old Trafford because he "wanted to win things". He will achieve that aim more easily if he resumes exhibiting his sublime talent rather than airing his unseemly vocabulary.

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