Anthony Martialis wasted on the wings

The young Frenchman was marked out of the game in the first half after being deployed on the left hand side by Louis Van Gaal. However, the former Monaco man looked most dangerous when picking up the ball in central areas. Martial has a knack of scoring crucial goals and again atoned for his error in gifting CSKA a penalty with a brilliant diving header in the second half. With Wayne Rooney failing to deliver and Memphis Depay bursting hot and cold, the goalscoring burden is on the 19 year old Parisien. Nevertheless, he must be moved centrally if he has to deliver.

Ander Herrera must remain a starter in this side

Herrera could not reach the heights of his sublime display at Merseyside nevertheless, the Spaniard impressed in Moscow. The Basque native increases the tempo of a largely pedestrian United side and his incisive passing led to a few chances in the second half. His dynamism was a crucial aspect in The Redsimproving their play after a horror 45 minutes and he played some inviting balls into the CSKA penalty box throughout the game. Herrera always seemsto face a struggle to enter Van Gaal's starting eleven, but the Dutchman must also realise after last night's performance, just how vital the diminutive playmaker is to this languid United team.

Antonio Valencia showing signs of his old form

While Marcos Rojo had a horror show on the left side of defence, Valencia put in a solid shift down the right constantly bombing forward and supporting the attack at every available opportunity.

The Ecuadorian was also firm in the tackle and was reliable while dealing with most threats. However, his crossing last night was the talking point of his performance. The Old Trafford faithful are accustomed to seeing Valencia run down the byline full of promise only to groan when his cross fails to clear the first defender.

Against CSKA, he was found on several occasions by Herrera and the former Wigan man floatedsome inviting balls into the box. One of these impressive balls was latched onto by Martial, leading to United's equaliser. Dare to say, could this be the return to the marauding displays Valencia last displayed in 2012?

United still lack creativity in the final third

For all the possession United boasted throughout the ninety minutes, they barely mustered up any clear-cut chances and Igor Akinfeev remained largely untested in the Moscow goal. Long gone are the days of Sir Alex Ferguson's rampaging United sides who delighted supporters and terrified opponents with their lightening quick attacks and bombardment of balls into the penalty box.

Van Gaal's side look devoid of creativity and their ponderous approach rarely allows them to threaten the opposition. An injection of pace and creativity is essential if United are to have a successful season.

Memphis Depay is out in the cold

The youngster was limited to a cameo appearance for the final ten minutes after being an unused substitute on the weekend against Everton and it's safe to say Memphis is out of favour under Van Gaal at the moment. On his day, the Dutchman is precisely what United are crying out for, a pacy winger with a bag of tricks and a lethal left foot. However, his abject displays were pulling United down and a break from the first team could be exactly what revitalises Memphis and kickstarts his United career. Fans must be worried about him turning into the next Angel Di Maria however, the former PSV man is just 21 and if afforded the time, he should deliver the goods.
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