Manchester United bounced back from a disappointing defeat to Swansea last weekend, with a routine 2-0 win over Sunderland at Old Trafford.
A double from Wayne Rooney went some way towards silencing Louis van Gaal’s claim that Manchester United are lacking a 20-goal-a-season striker – although the United captain needs nine more goals this season to reach that total.
The win moved United up into third place in the table, prior to Arsenal’s clash with Everton at the Emirates Stadium, and keeps van Gaal’s men well in the hunt for a top four finish.
But considering the money spent of late and the expectations at Old Trafford, you could argue the 2014-15 campaign has been somewhat underwhelming up until now.
Here we have taken a look back at some of the disappointments, and identified the five lowest points for Manchester Untied fans so far this season.
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Click on Louis van Gaal to reveal the 5 lowest points of Manchester United’s 2014/15 season
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Manchester United 1-2 Swansea
After a disastrous 2013-14 campaign under David Moyes, expectations were high for a new era under van Gaal when United kicked off the season at home to Swansea City.
Yet goals from Ki and Gylfi Sigurdsson in each half condemmed van Gaal to a Premier League debut defeat, despite Wayne Rooney pulling his side level in his first official game as club captain.
United struggled to find any sort of rythm, and Swansea ran out deserved winners on an afternoon that confirmed van Gaal was not going to find English football straightforward.
MK Dons 4-0 Manchester United
A result that stunned just about everyone in the country – besides Louis van Gaal.
The Dutchman strangely claimed he was ‘not surprised’ by the manner in which his side were humiliated in the second round of the Capital One Cup.
Doubles from Will Grigg and Benik Afobe saw United suffer a humiliating exit at the hands of the League One side, and signalled a disastrous start to van Gaal’s reign at Old Trafford.
Leicester 5-3 Manchester United
Despite big money signings Angel Di Maria, Ander Herrera and Radamel Falcao all being on show, Manchester United somehow let a two goal lead slip away at newly promoted Leicester, in what was an incredible game.
Goals from van Persie and Di Maria put United 2-0 up early on, and when Herrera made it 3-1 early in the second half it looked as though it would be a routine three points.
Cue some nightmare defending and some questionable refereeing, with Jamie Vardy proving the hero as Leicester somehow ran out 5-3 winners in one of the games of the season – unless you are a Manchester United fan of course.
Manchester City 1-0 Manchester United
Losing to local rivals is never a pleasant experience, but the manner in which United lost to ‘noisy neighbours’ City in November was particularly tough to take.
Van Gaal’s side were on top, creating chances and looking well in the game, until Chris Smalling was shown a second yellow card and the game changed.
Van Gaal branded Smalling as ‘stupid’ after the game, having seen Sergio Aguero fire the only goal to give City the local bragging rights.
Manchester United 0-1 Southampton
Louis van Gaal reckoned United could manage a title challenge during the second half of the season, after a positive Christmas period.
But Southampton all but ended any lingering hopes of a challenge in early January, coming to Old Trafford and leaving with all three points after second half strike from Duran Tadic.
United were well below par, and failed to create any clear cut chances in what was a dismal performance in front of the home fans.
Ronald Koeman’s side ran out deserved winners, and condemmed United to challenging them for the top four, rather than City and Chelsea for the league title.
