3 Major Talking Points From Manchester United’s Comeback Draw vs West Brom

Manchester United came back twice in the game to snatch a 2-2 draw at the Hawthorns against West Brom. The visitors looked sluggish early on and the home side made the most of it by scoring the opener inside 10 minutes. Things started to change in the second half and Van Gaal’s substitutions worked well as Fellaini came on and grabbed the equaliser. But they still needed a goal from Daley Blind a few minutes from time to take away a point from the game.

The result means that Van Gaal is still to get his first win away from home. Here are the major talking points from the game.

1. United still have a long way to go to the title

Before the West Brom game, Louis Van Gaal said that a win at the Hawthorns would be the impetus they need, to push and challenge for the title. While a victory would have certainly put them on the right track, it would have still left them eight points behind leaders Chelsea. As it stands, the Red Devils are now 10 points behind the Blues and are up against the top two in their next two games.

The game against the Baggies just showed how far they are behind the top two at the moment. A lot of times this season, Van Gaal has spoken about his side lacking the balance and that was certainly evident at the Hawthorns. While the visitors did, at times look breath-taking when they were going forward, at the back, they looked vulnerable every time the home side got at them. Although they are in sixth place right now, they will be slipping down the table very soon, if they don’t get it right against Chelsea and City.

2. Berahino knocking on the national side’s door

At the start of the season, the Baggies looked like a side who didn’t belong in the division. It looked as though it was going to be a long season for a side who didn’t invest heavily on the squad over the summer. Although they are currently only two points off the drop zone, they are starting to look a lot better now. And in Saido Berahino, they have the top scoring Englishman in the Premier League at the moment.

While that is not saying much, the fact that only Sergio Aguero and Diego Costa have scored more than the 21-year-old Englishman shows just how prolific he has been. In Berahino, the Baggies have a player who is not only a natural goal scorer, but is also someone who can create as well and has the pace to run in behind the defence. Against United, although he scored the goal, some of his link-up with Stéphane Sessègnon was just a joy to watch. With those two up front, the Baggies are unlikely to buy shy of goals and as long as they can keep their defence solid, they will have problems finishing mid-table.

3. Van Gaal still learning about the Premier League

After the game against Leicester City, Van Gaal was quick to play down the fact that his defence lacked the brawn to cope with a strong, physical and pacy side. After Monday night’s game against the Baggies, the Dutchman was honest enough to admit that his side lacked “the right physical balance in the team”. For the first time, it was an admission that for all the quality going forward, the current crop at United can be physically bullied at times.

While that isn’t a particularly good thing if you are a Manchester United fan, the fact that the manager realises that it is an issue is certainly a positive. His decision to bring on Fellaini was a testament to that. The Belgian hasn’t endured the best of times at United, but he had the manager’s complete backing when he went on and delivered the goods. Fellaini scored the equaliser and made a nuisance of himself in the Baggies box and added another dimension to United’s play. At times last season, it looked as though the Red Devils were reluctant to throw on the big Belgian and lump the ball forward, but the fact that Van Gaal looks at it as a option going forward shows that the Dutchman is learning about the league all the time.