Manchester United's Performance Against Chelsea Hints at Quality in the Squad

OLD TRAFFORD, Manchester — That Manchester United and Chelsea would draw 0-0 was relatively predictable, but the manner of the game should show Louis van Gaal or his eventual successor that the current squad contains plenty of the raw materials needed to build a more effective side.

Rather than a turgid goalless draw, the two sides instead played out an encounter with plenty of cut and thrust, particularly in the first half, which contained passages of scintillating end-to-end football as Juan Mata hit the bar and David De Gea was forced to be at his best to save Willian's goal-bound header.

Perhaps because of the toll recent results have taken on the confidence of United's squad, or perhaps because of the fatigue engendered by playing two games in quick succession, the Red Devils were not able to maintain their level throughout the 90 minutes.

In those bright moments, though, lies the template for Van Gaal—or whoever comes next—to take the team forward.

Ander Herrera was at his tigerish best, making five tackles, per WhoScored.com. He also proved once again that he is the player best equipped to link United's midfield and attack, with quick and inventive passing.

Mata, in such poor form over the past couple of months, looked brighter than he has done, linking well with Herrera and making extremely tidy use of the ball.

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Anthony Martial remains the most obvious diamond in the squad, and he gave Branislav Ivanovic a torrid time in the first half. How the Old Trafford fans must have wished his beguiling run had ended with the ball in the back of the net, rather than clipping the inside of the post and rolling to safety.

United also looked much more solid, thanks to the midfield partnership of Morgan Schneiderlin and Bastian Schweinsteiger. There are arguments to be made about the balance of the side with this pairing at its heart, but they certainly have the potential to provide a platform for a very functional attack and offer the defence a lot of protection.

Of course, not everything is rosy. United's lack of goals may yet prove Van Gaal's undoing, and if a new manager does arrive, they will need to add personnel as well as getting the best out of those in situ.

The lack of depth in defence remains a problem, evident both in the starting XI—Ashley Young's right-back berth—and in the substitutions.

United needed a goal but Van Gaal had to replace two defenders to manage their fitness through a difficult spell. Cameron Borthwick-Jackson did a decent job as a fill-in left-back, but his involvement was evidence of the lack of strength in depth in the defensive ranks.

However, in spite of the issues that remain in the squad, the truth is there are plenty of good players left, and the first half against Chelsea showed they still know how to turn on the style to some extent. Van Gaal bemoaned that luck was not on his team's side, and those words did not ring hollow for once.

The Dutchman also scotched any talk that he was planning to leave. He compared the support he had received from the club to that which had been in evidence at AZ Alkmaar. He shared a story of the AZ players visiting him at home to persuade him not to quit, and what followed was a triumphant league win.

It feels very premature to talk of a turnaround on that scale at United, but Van Gaal's bullishness in his post-match press conference was a welcome change of tone. He clearly believes he saw enough on the pitch to convince him the players are still fighting for him.

There was much less discontent from the crowd. Van Gaal said he thought they were pleased with the team's performance and it was hard to argue with that, particularly in the first half.

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Any goodwill he has mustered will evaporate quickly, though, if more positive results are not forthcoming. United are now without a win in eight games, although at least they arrested their run of defeats.

It remains to be seen if Chelsea's struggles meant they flattered United, or whether the Red Devils have turned any kind of corner.

Whatever happens in the short term, though, there was plenty of evidence on show on Monday evening at Old Trafford that the squad has the capacity to be doing much better than current form would suggest.

Quotes obtained first hand unless otherwise stated.