Angel Di Maria starts but Manchester United still held to 0-0 draw by Burnley at Turf Moor
ANGEL Di Maria’s promising debut failed to inspire l Manchester United to a first win of the season as they drew 0-0 with Burnley in the EPL.
ANGEL Di Maria’s promising debut failed to inspire lacklustre Manchester United to a first win of the season as Burnley held on for a 0-0 draw in the Premier League.
The Argentina midfielder, signed for a British-record fee of $108 million from Real Madrid earlier in the week, played in central midfield and was one of United’s best players at Turf Moor before being substituted in the 70th minute.
Di Maria set up United’s best two chances of the first half, his raking ball setting up Robin van Persie for a chance that was parried away by goalkeeper Tom Heaton while Juan Mata slipped as he attempted to convert Di Maria’s cross.
United has just two points from three games under new manager Louis van Gaal despite spending about $230 million this summer. That figure is likely to grow before the transfer deadline, with United announcing hours before the game that it has reached an agreement with Ajax for the signing of versatile Netherlands international Daley Blind.
Van Gaal is hoping his players’s confidence will be raised by the second-half performance but
was left to lament United’s failure to convert their chances.
“We played much better in the second half and created more chances,” Van Gaal said.
“But you have to score from those chances, and we didn’t do that. It’s a disappointing result.
“It was our mistake to fight with Burnley, even though they have fantastic fighting spirit. You have to play with the ball against teams like Burnley.
“I don’t think our confidence level was very high in the first half. But I think that’s normal when a club like United loses the first match and draws the second one.
“The pressure is higher and you have to cope with that. I could see in the first half that the players were very nervous to play the ball. We restored that in the second half, and maybe that will raise our confidence.”
Sticking with his 3-5-2 formation after the midweek embarrassing 4-0 loss to League One side MK Dons in the Capital One Cup, Van Gaal will be happy to see his much-maligned defense keep a first clean sheet but there was a lack of cutting edge going forward.
That despite fielding Di Maria alongside Mata, Van Persie and Wayne Rooney in an exciting-looking forward line.
Burnley earned a first point since promotion from the Championship and was comfortable for most of the game.
Van Persie had a goalbound shot cleared away from near the line in the 59th and the Netherlands striker looked United’s most dangerous forward on a day when Rooney and Mata, who went off with a right hamstring injury, failed to have an influence.
Burnley came close early when David Jones curled a free kick against the crossbar, but the hosts mostly defended after that.