Fellaini hasn't got the legs to attack, Young looked lost and Moyes needs to gamble! Martin Keown's verdict on United's flops.

fter United’s humbling defeat at the Etihad, questions are being asked of David Moyes and his men. Sportsmail’s MARTIN KEOWN gives his verdict on the problem areas and assesses whether the new manager can get the champions back on track.

Dejection: United players trudge back to the halfway line as City take control of the Manchester derby

 

CHRIS SMALLING
Smalling is a centre half playing at right back, and I always have sympathy with someone playing out of position. It doesn’t work at the highest level. Full back is a specialist position where opposition wingers will exploit any weakness. His career hasn’t caught fire yet at United; it’s been stop-start, and he’s not been a first choice. He has two centre backs in front of him (Ferdinand and Vidic) and must wait until that changes.
It is very hard to assess Smalling as he is still so inexperienced. He’s 23 and he should have at least 100 starts under his belt in the Premier League by now — but he has made just 64 for Fulham and United. On Sunday, he didn’t organise Valencia well (or quickly) enough in front of him to protect him. You must get good early information to your winger, get him in front and get the pass blocked.

Out of position: United's Smalling (right) is a centre half playing at right back

MAROUANE FELLAINI
The derby was played at frenetic pace. Fellaini eventually got into it, but by then, the game was lost. Moyes wants him deep in midfield but he must be played further forward. Fellaini was not effective at all in the final third because he hasn’t got the legs to join the attack.
People are watching United closely in that midfield area where Paul Scholes used to dictate the pace of games. Matches are often won and lost in midfield — and Yaya Toure was the clear winner on Sunday.

Slow off mark: Fellaini did not make an impact in the final third against Manchester City

ANTONIO VALENCIA
He was there to give Smalling protection and didn’t do it. Perhaps Moyes tried to copy what Cardiff did so successfully against City earlier this season — they played two wide players (Craig Bellamy and Peter Whittingham) basically as auxiliary full backs.
If Moyes was trying to emulate them, Ashley Young — and Valencia in particular — simply didn’t offer enough protection. I genuinely think with the right information and work on the training ground, Valencia could be coached to be effective in that role.

Didn't do job: Valencia (right) did not give Smalling enough protection during the derby

ASHLEY YOUNG
Probably the most disappointing of the group — he looked lost and gave the ball away so much. Sir Alex Ferguson didn’t pick him in the really big games and maybe Moyes shouldn’t have done.
Nani, who was recently persuaded to sign a five-year deal, might have offered better balance to the team and a more attacking threat from the left-hand side. He would have cut inside — freeing Evra to run into the channel — and been more threatening than Young, who is a conundrum. He can be hugely successful but then has patches when he is in and out of the side.

Looked lost: Young (left) was disappointing and looked lost against rivals City

TACTICS
The new manager has his own tactics against the big teams but he needs to gamble more. United look like a boxer intent on covering up, but they need to have a punch to hit back when necessary. If you don’t have that attacking threat, teams will no longer fear you.
One or two United players will be feeling insecure. Apart from Fellaini, they are all Ferguson’s players. Now Moyes has to reassure them that he values them. A change of manager always creates uncertainty. No-one really knows how the Moyes era will end up but there is enough quality there for United to be successful.