Real Sociedad vs. Manchester United: 6 Things We Learned

A lackadaisical Manchester United failed to win at San Sebastian's Anoeta Stadium, with Robin van Persie missing a second-half penalty.

At first it looked as though his shot had been saved by Real Sociedad's goalkeeper and vice-captain Claudio Bravo but replays later showed that the Dutchman had actually hit the post.

The match ended 0-0, with the hosts recording their first point in this year's Champions League, although they will remain in last place in Group A.

With a far greater test coming up against Arsenal on Nov. 10, United won't be too disheartened by their inability to find a way through what was really a rather ordinary Sociedad side.

Here are six things we learned from the club's insipid away draw in the Basque country.

1. Shinji Kagawa is no left-winger, but he doesn't have to be

Much will be made of the improvement in United's play once Kagawa moved into the hole after Wayne Rooney's substitution, but his contributions from the left during the earlier part of the game should not be forgotten.

In the first half, the Japanese player could have had at least two assists thanks to a couple of neat and crisp passes into the box that Javier Hernandez and Rooney failed to convert into goals.

With Antonio Valencia tearing down the right to deliver crosses, Kagawa's more studious approach down the left offered a different kind of threat that seemed to take Sociedad unawares at times.

Dribbling to the byline and forcing defenders to commit to him, the attacking midfielder was able to then ping a quick ball across the face of goal without needing to find the space to produce a cross.

For matches against Premier League opposition, United may have to experiment more with Kagawa in the hole, but in Europe, his more delicate wing-play could have its place in David Moyes' tactics.

Had Marouane Fellaini not been sent off, forcing United to sub Kagawa for Phil Jones—a player more able to cover the defensive gap left by the Belgian—the Japanese midfielder would have seen the game out on the pitch, judging by his second-half performance through the middle.

Even with the substitution however, his performance in San Sebastian will have given Moyes plenty to consider, as well as a touch of encouragement to spur the manager into trusting in Kagawa's abilities again in the near future.

2. Fellaini the destroyer benefits from Moyes' more rigid approach, but his indiscipline will cost United

It was always going to happen at some point.

Fellaini has long been something of a yellow card sponge. The number of petty fouls committed by the Belgian is one of his major flaws.

His second yellow card against Sociedad was deserved, and it's unlikely to be his last dismissal in a United shirt.

Yet before his persistent fouls caught up with him late on in the second half, Fellaini had been fairly impressive as United's enforcer through the middle.

The team's deeper setup suited the midfielder's relative lack of pace, while Patrice Evra, Rooney, Kagawa, and his partner through the middle, Ryan Giggs, all did well to offer the Belgian plenty of passing options, allowing him to focus on his job of winning the ball rather than using it.

Getting the best of Fellaini relies on keeping him focused on breaking up play and protecting his teammates rather than asking him to play as a complete midfielder.

Without trying to offend Everton fans, he just doesn't have the technique or ideas at this level to be given creative control. Fortunately, it appears that Moyes is beginning to understand this.

A more expansive midfield signing or two come January will only help the United manager to use his battle-ready Belgian to an even greater effect, adding power and presence rather than playmaking to the team.

He must speak to Fellaini about his fouls, however, in order to prevent his card-heavy style of play from spiraling out of control.

3. Rooney may be in danger of relying on his work rate than his technique once more

Lining up in the hole behind Javier Hernandez, Rooney once more took it upon himself to drop deep and roam throughout the team to link up play, win the ball and instigate attacks across the park.

Yet worryingly, the Englishman looked slightly clumsy on the night and appeared to be relying on his work rate rather than getting the basics right to ensure that his touch was on point.

He may not have made such a monumental error to gift Sociedad possession in a dangerous area, or miss a simple chance due to any technical sloppiness, but a failure to keep his play sharp has long been a telltale sign of complacency in Rooney's game.

That mental laziness can lead to some pretty rough patches of form, as United fans have witnessed over the past few seasons.

Hopefully, his untidiness against Sociedad was nothing more than a performance blip rather than an early sign that Rooney is about to slide back into a world of excuses and excess.

The last thing United need at present is for one of their star strikers to lose his way by letting any carelessness creep back into his football or lifestyle off the pitch.

4. United's attentions were already fixed on Arsenal at the weekend

Heading into the game, Sociedad were pointless at the bottom of Group A with only one goal to their name.

With a vitally important clash against Premier League leaders Arsenal scheduled for the weekend, United's players may have been saving themselves for Sunday.

That would have gone some way to explaining their lack of desire and inspiration against Sociedad.

There didn't seem to be too much interest in pushing for all three points, with just a few players such as Kagawa, Smalling and Evra committing themselves fully to the contest.

Luckily, with Shakhtar Donetsk and Bayer Leverkusen drawing in Ukraine, United's supremacy at the top of the group looks unlikely to be challenged.

Having kept a clean sheet and claimed a point in San Sebastian, Moyes and his team can now get on with preparing themselves to face Arsenal at home.

Another important showdown follows two weeks later against Tottenham Hotspur, which will come after United's next Champions League game against Bayer Leverkusen in Germany.

A win there would seal their progress into the round of 16, but with the game against Spurs set to loom large over the fixture, Moyes will have his work cut out to ensure his side go into that match far more focused than they were against Sociedad. 

5. Moyes' system held up, even with his team's lack of urgency

Even with a general lack of enthusiasm in San Sebastian, United looked fairly comfortable throughout their game against Sociedad, suggesting that the rather rigid tactical frameworks employed by the new manager are working.

In the first 25 minutes or so, United remained extremely rigid, falling back into two strict banks of four when out of possession.

This melted into a more fluid system as the game went on, but that earlier firmness arguably helped United feel their way into the game after a lukewarm start.

Later in the second half, Moyes switched things around with his substitutions, bringing on van Persie and Ashley Young in place of Rooney and Hernandez, to give Kagawa a more central role behind the Dutchman.

As arguably the player with the most the prove on the night, handing over the creative responsibilities to the Japanese player was a wise decision, with the former Dortmund playmaker enjoying plenty of space and service in as he floated in the hole.

United still look rather disinterested, however, but again, Moyes' choice of system looked productive, even if his players were struggling to switch themselves onto the match itself.

6. Young is a cheat regardless of the sins committed by players at other clubs

To paraphrase an old adage, it doesn't matter how the ball finds its way into the back of the net so long as it does, and United fans would have celebrated van Persie's penalty and the 1-0 lead it would have conferred, had it gone in.

However, the spot-kick was saved and in some ways justice was done.

After all, the penalty was won by a piece of gamesmanship, the likes of which United fans would have lambasted their favourite pariahs at Liverpool and other clubs for trying.

Young is a serial offender when it comes to deceiving referees, and while his antics may well win his team the occasional crafty penalty or free-kick, it can also cast unhelpful doubts into the minds of officials.

Simulation in response to violent or dangerous play is one thing, but diving in the manner Young often indulges in could well come back to haunt him and his teammates next time they try to protest over an opponent fouling them for real in or around the box.

The winger went down all too easy in Sociedad's box, and with his reputation as a diver well-established in the Premier League, he won't do himself any favours by bringing such habits to the attentions of the authorities on the continent.