Paul Merson: Manchester United Are Like A Subbuteo Team

Paul Merson says Manchester United are like a Subbuteo team after they endured another frustrating night against PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League.

United are not guaranteed a place in the last 16 of this year's competition after failing to break down their Dutch opponents in a 0-0 draw at Old Trafford on Wednesday night.

Despite sitting second in the Premier League, one point ahead of rivals Manchester City, supporter discontent with Louis van Gaal's style of play shows no sign of abating, and Merson can understand why.

The Sky Sports pundit said: "I don't know the lad, but I'm a big fan of Wayne Rooney's. But he can't do it on his own.

"As I say, unless you get movement and you get pace then you will struggle; I think for me it's a bit like watching a Subbuteo team at the moment watching Manchester United.

"When you watch Rooney playing for England - like against France the other night - he was right in the mood as he had people playing with pace around him, people making runs and the whole team was playing quicker.

"But if you set your team up at kick-off and at half-time when the whistle blows everyone is still in them positions and that's exactly how it is for me at United at the minute. There's no movement, it's very, very mechanical, machine-like. Very hard to beat, but you either go one way or the other.

"To keep clean sheets like they are and score goals at the same time is a hard balance to get and at the moment they haven't got that. I'm one of their biggest critics but I'll give them one thing they have a bit of belly about them. When they don't play well they don't lose.

"You watch Manchester City the other day, they played badly against Liverpool and it could have been seven."

Credit: Skysports.com